Journey Of A Batch, Part 3: Welding Stainless Steel Awning Brackets
TIG welding, stud forging and final assembly — the last manufacturing stage before a LoadBear bracket is finished, inspected and packed in Birmingham.
From the press brake to the welding bay. Box section is saw cut and weld prepped, then TIG welded under Argon by skilled welders, with studs forged into the stainless for a clean, fully hidden fixing.
From bending, the brackets move on to the welding section for completion. Box section is accurately cut on our purpose-built saw line, dedicated to stainless steel. We use specially coated blades bought in specifically for awning bracket box section, which measures 60 x 40 x 3mm. The box section is then weld prepped for strength, and after welding the weld area is sanded flat — fully prepped beforehand and finished afterwards for strength and durability.
TIG welding a stainless awning bracket under Argon.
Cutting And Prepping The Box Section
Accurately measured and marked on the saw line.
Cut with specially coated blades reserved for stainless box section.
Prepped box section ready for the welder.
TIG Welded Under Argon
Skilled TIG welders weld all the structural parts that came off the press brake together, increasing the strength of the formed parts to produce a robust, corrosion resistant bracket. Every fillet is shielded with Argon inert gas to keep the weld clean and the stainless properties intact.
Skilled TIG welders joining the formed parts into a finished bracket.
TIG welded fillet, shielded with Argon for a clean, structural weld.
Welds sanded flat and cleaned for a tidy, durable finish.
Forged Studs For Hidden Fixings
Studs are forged into the stainless and TIG welded for strength. Specialist machines forge the studs into the steel with up to 3000 kg of force. We also forge a bush into the wall chassis to receive our cover, which hides all the heavy-duty fixings that secure the bracket to the wall — giving the finished installation a clean look with no visible hardware.
Studs forged into the stainless and TIG welded into the bracket.
Up to 3000 kg of force forges each stud into the stainless.
Ready For Finishing
Fully welded and dressed, ready to head out for finishing.
Next in the series: finishing. We’ll follow the same batch through dressing, inspection and powder coating before each bracket is packed and shipped.