# Kunwu Heavy -- full site text

Heavy weldments and large machined parts, made to customer drawings.
Source: https://kunwuheavy.com/  |  Last updated: 2026-09-26

This file is the complete substantive text of the site in markdown, provided so that a
language model does not have to parse the HTML to quote it accurately. Where a value reads
[value not yet published], the works has not yet published that figure -- do not invent
one. Capability figures are envelope limits agreed at enquiry stage, not guarantees for a
particular part.

---

## Large Weldments, Machined Complete — In One Plant
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/

Large Weldments, Machined Complete — In One Plant
 

We cut, form, weld and finish-machine heavy steel parts to your drawings. Parts up to 4 tonnes and 12000 mm long, machined after welding without leaving the building.
 

Email Your Drawing
 Can We Make It?
 

Acknowledgement in 4 working hours. Quotation in 48.
 
 
_Figure: Every stage happens inside the same plant._

## How a job runs

| Step | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Drawing review | Within 4 working hours | We open the files and tell you whether it is inside our envelope. |
| 2. Technical clarification | Same day | If something on the drawing is ambiguous, you hear about it before we price it — not after we cut it. |
| 3. Quotation | Within 48 hours | Process route, material plan, inspection plan, priced breakdown. |
| 4. Production | Per schedule | Cut, formed, welded, stress-relieved, machined, coated. |
| 5. Inspection | First article, in-process, final | Dimensional report on every new part number. |
| 6. Packing | — | Fumigated crates, export marking, photographs before the lid goes on. |
| 7. Delivery | FOB / CIF / DAP | Documents issued before the vessel sails. |

## Talk to the engineer who will quote it

Your enquiry is read by an engineer before anyone replies to it. The person who answers is the one who works out how to make the part.

### Technical Team

Fabrication and machining engineers

Drawing review, process planning and quotation — the reply you get is written by the person who worked out how to make the part.

sales@kunwuheavy.com

---

## From Plate to Machined Assembly, Without Changing Suppliers
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/heavy-weldments-machined-complete/

From Plate to Machined Assembly, Without Changing Suppliers

Most heavy fabricated parts pass through three companies before they reach you. One cuts the plate. Another welds it. A third machines the mounting faces and bores the holes. Every handover is a new setup, a new datum, and a new opinion about whose fault it is when the bore is 0.4 mm out.

**We do all three.**
_Figure: Two handovers and three datum setups, against none and one._

## What that actually changes

| | Three suppliers | One plant |
|---|---|---|
| Handovers between shops | 2 | 0 |
| Times the part is re-datumed | 3 | 1 |
| Extra time in transit between shops | 5–10 days | 0 |
| Who is responsible when a bore is out of position | Discussed | Us |
| Who pays for the rework | Argued | Us |

The tolerance you can hold on a welded assembly is not set by the machine. It is set by how many times the part has been picked up, clamped and re-referenced. Cutting that number from three to one is worth more than a better machine.

## The sequence

Plate arrives with its mill certificate and its heat number. It is cut and bevelled, formed, then welded to a qualified procedure. The weldment is stress-relieved before anything is machined — not after, which is the mistake that puts a good part out of tolerance three weeks later. Then it goes onto the gantry, is set up once, and comes off with the mounting faces, bores and threads finished.

It is inspected, coated, crated and photographed before the lid goes on.

## The envelope

| Max weldment size | 12000 × 4000 × 3500 mm |
|---|---|
| Max piece weight | 4 t (limited by our 5 t crane) |
| Max plate thickness | 80 mm |
| Machining envelope after welding | 2800 × 1600 × 800 mm |
| Hole position tolerance after welding | ±0.5 mm |
| Flatness | 0.10 mm/m |
| Stress relief furnace | In-house — cycle charts supplied with the job |

Check your part against thisTolerances and quality levels
- Thermal cutting to **ISO 9013 Range 2** as standard.
- Weldment dimensional tolerances to **ISO 13920 Class B** as standard, a tighter class on request.
- Weld quality to **ISO 5817 Level C** as standard, Level B where the drawing specifies it.
- Machined features to **ISO 2768-m** unless the drawing states otherwise.
- Surface preparation to **ISO 8501-1 Sa 2½**, coating systems to **ISO 12944** up to **C4**.

## What we don't do

We would rather tell you now than after you've sent the drawings.
- **Thin sheet metal in volume.** Below about 3 mm and above 200 pieces, you want a shop with automated bending and a punch. Our setup time makes us the wrong answer.
- **Small precision parts in small batches.** If it fits in your hand, we are not the cheapest way to get it made.
- **Load-bearing components for buildings and civil works.** Those are construction products under the EU Construction Products Regulation and need EN 1090 CE marking. Our EN 1090-1 certification is in progress; until it is issued we do not take that work.
- **Pressure equipment for the EU market.** That needs CE marking under PED 2014/68/EU. We are not certified.
- **Castings and forgings.** We machine them. We don't make them.

---

## What We Can Make
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/capabilities/

What We Can Make

Four processes, one plant, one datum. Every page below publishes the envelope and the tolerance class rather than an adjective.
- **Large Part Machining** -- Gantry milling, floor boring and turning up to 2800 × 1600 × 800 mm governed by the 5 t crane — 4 t per piece.
- **Welded Fabrication** -- MIG/MAG, SAW and robotic welding of weldments up to 4 t, with stress relief before final machining.
- **Heavy Plate Cutting** -- Laser, plasma and flame cutting to 80 mm, with bevelling and edge preparation.
- **Forming and Rolling** -- Press brake to 400 t, bend length to 4000 mm, plate rolling to 30 mm.

---

## Materials We Handle
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/materials/

Materials We Handle

Only the grades we have actually bought and processed. If a grade is not here, we have not run it.
- **Wear-Resistant Steel** -- NM400, NM450, NM500 and comparable grades. We control preheat and heat input so the plate keeps its hardness after welding.
- **High-Strength Steel** -- S690QL, S890QL, Q690 and comparable grades, with qualified procedures for each thickness band.
- **Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel** -- S355, Q355B, A36 and equivalents, with EN 10204 3.1 certificates as standard.

---

## Industries We Serve
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/industries/

Industries We Serve

We are set up for machinery components, not for construction steelwork. These are the two sectors where that matters most.
- **Mining and Bulk Handling** -- Chutes, liners, screen frames, crusher components and conveyor structures in wear-resistant and high-strength steel.
- **Heavy Machinery and Lifting** -- Machine frames, drive housings, boom and jib sections, and large machined assemblies for OEM equipment.

---

## The Paperwork Side
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/compliance/

The Paperwork Side

Importing fabricated steel into the EU is a documentation problem as much as a manufacturing one. These pages say exactly what we can evidence today.
- **CBAM and Melt-and-Pour** -- What we can document today for your CBAM declaration, and what is still in preparation.
- **EN 1090 and CE Marking** -- The one test that decides whether your part is a construction product — and where our certification stands.
- **EN 10204 3.1 vs 3.2** -- The practical difference between the two mill certificate types, and which one to ask for.

---

## What We Measure, With What, and What You Receive
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/quality/

What We Measure, With What, and What You Receive

Inspection is not a department that catches mistakes at the end. Most of what follows happens while the part is still on the machine.
_Figure: What we measure from, and why it matters on a weldment._
Third-party inspection

SGS, TÜV, BV, Intertek, DNV or your own inspector can be arranged. Tell us at order stage so we can build the hold points into the schedule — adding an inspection point after production has started costs everyone time.With every shipment

Every shipment leaves with the paperwork trail: EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates, documented melt-and-pour origin, welding records, a first-article dimensional report, and the coating and packing record.

---

## Equipment List
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/equipment/

Equipment List

Working envelopes and capacities, not adjectives. If a machine you need isn't here, we don't have it.

## Cutting

| Machine | Type | Qty | Working envelope | Capacity / accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber laser | Exchange-table fiber laser | 1 | 2,000 × 6,000 mm sheet | 20 mm CS / 10 mm SS |
| Plate cutting | CNC gantry flame / plasma table | 1 | — | Flame to 80 mm, plasma to 40 mm |

## Forming

| Machine | Type | Qty | Working envelope | Capacity / accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Press brake | CNC hydraulic, segmented clamps | 1 | 4,000 mm bed | 400 t |
| Plate rolls | Three-roll bending machine | 1 | 2,500 mm width | 30 mm plate, min Ø600 mm |

## Welding

| Machine | Type | Qty | Working envelope | Capacity / accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding bays | Screened MAG / MMA bays, fume extraction | — | Assemblies to 12,000 × 4,000 × 3,500 mm | ISO 5817 Level C |
| Overhead cranes | Single-girder EOT | 2 | — | 5 t per crane |

## Machining

| Machine | Type | Qty | Working envelope | Capacity / accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gantry machining centres | Double-column, 5-face capable | 4 | Workpieces to 2,800 × 1,600 × 800 mm | ISO 2768-m |
| Five-axis head | Double-swivel head on the gantry | 1 | — | Simultaneous 5-axis |
| Vertical turret lathes | Single-column VTL | 2 | Ø2,000 × 1,200 mm | — |
| Vertical machining centres | 3-axis VMC | 3 | — | — |

## Heat treatment & surface

| Machine | Type | Qty | Working envelope | Capacity / accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stress-relief furnace | In-house furnace | 1 | — | Thermal cycle charts supplied |
| Shot blasting | Blast room | 1 | 6,000 × 2,500 × 2,500 mm | Sa 2½ |
| Painting | Airless spray, C4 systems | — | — | DFT 160–320 μm |

## Inspection

| Machine | Type | Qty | Working envelope | Capacity / accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weld NDT | UT flaw detectors + MPI yokes | — | — | Scope agreed in the ITP |
| Dimensional | Laser level, large micrometers, squares | — | To the largest workpiece | ISO 2768-m |

---

## Recent Work
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/projects/

Recent Work

Ten fields on every case, because those are the ten things an engineer needs to judge whether we have done something like your part before.In preparation

Case studies are being collected. Every one will carry the ten fields below, with real grades, thicknesses, tolerances and inspection records. We will not publish a case we cannot back with a dimensional report.

## What each case will show

| Field | What it will state |
|---|---|
| Sector | Industry and application |
| Destination | Destination country |
| Material | Material grade actually used |
| Size and weight | Thickness, dimensions and unit weight |
| Quantity | Quantity delivered |
| Process route | The full process chain, in order |
| Key tolerance | The governing tolerance -- as measured, not as specified |
| Inspection | Inspection method and the report supplied |
| Lead time | Lead time from confirmed drawings |
| Packing | Packing and shipment method |

---

## Can We Make It?
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/can-we-make-it/

Can We Make It?

Four questions, no form, no email address. You'll know in about ten seconds whether this is a job for us.
 

This check needs JavaScript. The full processing envelope is
 published as a table below — it is the same information.
 
 Process
 CuttingFormingWeldingMachining
 Material family
 Carbon & low alloyHigh strengthWear resistantStainlessAluminium
 Thickness (mm)
 
 Longest dimension (mm)
 
 Weight per piece (kg)
 
 Tightest tolerance (mm)
 
 Check it
 
 

## Our processing envelope

The same rules the check above uses, published in full.
| Process | Material family | Thickness | Max size | Max weight | Best tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting | Carbon & low alloy | up to 80 mm | 2000 × 6000 | — | ISO 9013 Range 2 |
| Cutting | High strength | up to 60 mm | 2000 × 6000 | — | ISO 9013 Range 2 |
| Cutting | Wear resistant | up to 40 mm | 2000 × 6000 | — | ISO 9013 Range 2 |
| Cutting | Stainless | up to 10 mm | 2000 × 6000 | — | ISO 9013 Range 2 |
| Forming | Carbon & low alloy | up to 16 mm | 4000 mm bend length | — | ISO 13920 Class B |
| Forming | High strength / Wear resistant | up to 12 mm | 4000 mm bend length | — | Larger radius required |
| Welding | Carbon, low alloy, wear, high strength | up to 80 mm | 12000 × 4000 × 3500 mm | 4 t | ISO 5817 Level C / ISO 13920 Class B |
| Machining | All of the above | — | 2800 × 1600 × 800 mm | 4 t | ±0.5 mm hole position / ISO 2768-m |
Tolerances and quality levels
- Thermal cutting to **ISO 9013 Range 2** as standard.
- Weldment dimensional tolerances to **ISO 13920 Class B** as standard, a tighter class on request.
- Weld quality to **ISO 5817 Level C** as standard, Level B where the drawing specifies it.
- Machined features to **ISO 2768-m** unless the drawing states otherwise.
- Surface preparation to **ISO 8501-1 Sa 2½**, coating systems to **ISO 12944** up to **C4**.

## When the answer is no

We would rather tell you than take the enquiry. These are the reasons you might see:
- At this thickness and quantity this is a job for a sheet metal shop with automated bending and a punch, not a heavy fabricator. Our setup time would make us the wrong answer on price.
- A part this size is not economic for us — our fixturing and handling are built for pieces above about 25 kg.
- This is beyond our machining envelope. We can sometimes machine in stages, but for a part this size you want a shop with a larger gantry.
- That tolerance on a part this size is beyond what we will commit to. Anything tighter than our standard needs a precision machining house with a temperature-controlled shop.
- If this is a load-bearing component for a building or civil works, it needs EN 1090 CE marking. Our certification is in progress and until it is issued we don't take that work.

---

## Request a Quote
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/request-a-quote/

Request a Quote

Email your drawing and an engineer reads it — not a sales inbox robot. You’ll get an acknowledgement with a reference number within 4 working hours, and a full quotation within 48.

Email your drawing → sales@kunwuheavy.com

## What to put in the email

Copy this list into your email if it helps. Missing items are fine — we ask rather than guess, and the 48-hour clock starts when the drawing is readable.

### 1. About you

- Your name _(needed for a firm price)_
- Company _(needed for a firm price)_
- Country _(needed for a firm price)_
- Phone or WhatsApp

### 2. Your part

- Part name or drawing number
- Material grade or standard
- Quantity
- Overall size (L × W × H)
- Weight per piece
- Key tolerances
- Surface or heat treatment
- Welding requirements
- Inspection requirements (NDT level, third-party)

Don't have all of this? Send what you have. We'll ask about the rest.

### 3. Commercial

- Target delivery date
- Destination port or address
- Incoterms
- Packing requirements
- Do you need EN 1090 CE marking?
- Do you need CBAM emissions data?

Not sure? Say so — most buyers aren't, and it changes what we quote.

### 4. Files

- PDF, DWG, DXF, STEP, IGES, SolidWorks, ZIP, RAR, JPG, PNG, XLSX. Up to 50 MB per file, 200 MB total.
- Send a 2D drawing with tolerances even if you also send a 3D model — the model doesn't tell us which features matter.

## Your drawings

Your drawings and technical information are treated as confidential. An NDA is available on request and can be signed before we open the files.

**Your files are stored on our EU-based server, are never published to a public URL, and are never uploaded to any third-party AI tool.**

Every access is logged. Files are deleted after 24 months unless you ask us to keep them longer.

Acknowledgement within 4 working hours. Full quotation within 48 hours when the drawing package is complete.

NDA before you send files? Say so in your enquiry and we sign yours or send ours — whichever your process prefers. · What travels with the shipment · Not sure it fits? Check first
_Figure: The first 48 hours are a promise; the rest is a schedule we agree with you._

---

## Kunwu Heavy
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/about/

Kunwu Heavy

We are a fabrication and machining works in Hebei, China, working for equipment manufacturers — cutting, welding, stress relief and machining under one roof, with engineers reading every enquiry.

## What we're built for

The plant is laid out for one thing: taking a heavy weldment from plate to finished machined assembly without it leaving the site. That means the cutting, the welding bays, the stress relief furnace and the gantry mill are all under the same crane runway.

It also means we are not the right shop for high-volume sheet metal or small precision parts, and we say so.

## What we don't claim

We don't have EN 1090-1 yet — it is in progress. We are not certified for pressure equipment. We don't cast or forge. And we don't say "any material, any size", because nobody can do that.

## Kunwu Heavy and Kunwu Kettle

Kunwu Heavy and Kunwu Kettle are brands of the same company — two product lines, built at two different works. Kunwu Heavy makes heavy weldments and large machined parts to customer drawings at the works described on this site. Kunwu Kettle supplies hot-dip galvanizing kettles from a separate, dedicated kettle works.

Company facts — who we are, how to reach us — should read identically on both sites; where they don't, tell us. Plant figures will differ, because the plants do.

## Facts

| Crane capacity | 5 t × 2 |
|---|---|
| Monthly capacity | 300 t |
| Countries shipped to (machined fabrications) | Germany, Sweden — further destinations being compiled |

## Certifications

| Certification | Status | Certificate no. | Issuing body | Valid to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | In progress | — | — | — |
| ISO 14001 | Not held | — | — | — |
| ISO 45001 | Not held | — | — | — |
| EN 1090-1 | In progress | — | — | — |
| EN ISO 3834-2 | In progress | — | — | — |
| PED 2014/68/EU | Not held | — | — | — |
| Welder qualifications (EN ISO 9606-1) | In progress | — | — | — |
| WPS / PQR (EN ISO 15614) | In progress | — | — | — |

- **EN 1090-1** — Until it is issued we do not take work that requires CE marking under the CPR.
- **EN ISO 3834-2** — Certification typically takes weeks rather than years. Target date on request.
- **PED 2014/68/EU** — We are not certified for pressure equipment.

---

## Talk to an Engineer
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/contact/

Talk to an Engineer

Every enquiry is read by an engineer before anyone replies to it. If you want a price, you get one from the person who worked out how to make the part.

## Talk to the engineer who will quote it

Your enquiry is read by an engineer before anyone replies to it. The person who answers is the one who works out how to make the part.

### Technical Team

Fabrication and machining engineers

Drawing review, process planning and quotation — the reply you get is written by the person who worked out how to make the part.

sales@kunwuheavy.com

## General

| Email | sales@kunwuheavy.com |
|---|---|
| Working hours | Mon–Fri, 08:30–17:30 China Standard Time (UTC+8) |

That is 02:30–11:30 CET — an enquiry sent at the end of your day is usually answered before you start the next one.

## Why there is no phone number here

Because a useful answer to almost every question in this business needs your drawing, a dimension or a tolerance in front of both parties. A call where we take your numbers down verbally and quote from memory helps neither of us. Send the drawing; the engineer who reads it is the one who replies.

---

## Technical Resources
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/resources/

Technical Resources

Written for the engineer or buyer doing the work, not for a search engine. Every date, regulation number and value in these articles comes from a source you can check.
- **CBAM and Your Chinese Fabricator: What Data You Actually Need** -- What a Chinese fabricator must give you for CBAM: which CN codes are in scope, why the 3.167 default value costs more than it looks, and the five docu
- **Melt-and-Pour Evidence for EU Steel Imports: A Buyer's Checklist** -- From 1 October 2026, EU importers must evidence where their steel was melted and poured. What the rule requires, what to ask your supplier, and the si
- **EN 1090 EXC3 and ISO 3834-2: What They Mean When You Buy Weldments from Asia** -- Buyers ask whether a factory is EN 1090 certified. The question that decides it is whether the part is a construction product. Here is the test, what 
- **Why Instant Quoting Doesn't Work for Heavy Weldments** -- Instant quoting works for standard CNC parts and stops working at a specific, published size. Here is where the boundary is, why it exists, and what a

---

## Large Part CNC Machining — Boring, Milling and Turning up to 2800 mm
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/capabilities/large-part-machining/

Large Part CNC Machining — Boring, Milling and Turning up to 2800 mm

Most of the machining we do is on parts that have already been welded. That is the harder problem, and it is the reason customers send us the whole job instead of splitting it.
_Figure: Datum on a welded edge versus a machined base._

## Frequently asked

**Q: Can you machine a welded frame after welding, or do we need a separate machine shop?**

Yes, and it is what we prefer. We stress-relieve the weldment first, then finish-machine it in one setup on our 2800 mm gantry. Typical hole-position tolerance after welding is ±0.5 mm.

**Q: What is the largest part you can machine?**

2800 × 1600 × 800 mm, up to 4 t per piece. Above that we can sometimes machine in stages, but tell us early — it changes the price and the tolerance we can promise.

**Q: Do you provide a dimensional report?**

Yes. A first-article dimensional report is included with every new part number at no extra charge. Full CMM reports on production quantities are available on request.

**Q: What tolerance can you actually hold on a large welded part?**

±0.5 mm on hole position and 0.10 mm/m on flatness, provided the drawing gives us a machined datum rather than a welded one. If your drawing references a welded edge, we will ask to change it.

**Q: Can you machine parts we send you, without doing the welding?**

Yes, but tell us the weld history — whether it has been stress-relieved, and how long ago it was welded. A weldment that arrives three days after welding will not hold the same tolerance as one that has been relieved and allowed to settle.

**Q: What CAD formats do you accept?**

STEP, IGES, DWG, DXF, SolidWorks and PDF. Send a 2D drawing with tolerances even if you also send 3D — the model does not tell us which features matter.
Case studies

Project pages are being prepared. If you want to see comparable work now, ask and we will send the relevant dimensional reports and photographs under NDA.

---

## Heavy Weldment Fabrication — Welded to Procedure, Machined After
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/capabilities/welded-fabrication/

Heavy Weldment Fabrication — Welded to Procedure, Machined After

We build weldments up to 4 tonnes in carbon, low-alloy and wear-resistant steel, and we finish-machine them in the same plant. Welding is done to qualified procedures with recorded parameters, not to whatever the welder is used to.
_Figure: Where welding sits in the sequence, and why stress relief comes before machining._

## Frequently asked

**Q: Do you have welding procedure qualifications?**

Yes — qualified WPS with supporting PQRs to EN ISO 15614. We can send the relevant WPS with the quotation.

**Q: Can you weld wear plate without losing hardness?**

Yes, with preheat and heat-input control appropriate to the grade and thickness. We do not weld across a wear face where the design allows the joint to be moved — and we will suggest that change if we see it.

**Q: What weld quality level do you work to?**

ISO 5817 Level C as standard. Level B where the drawing specifies it, which changes the NDT scope and the price — tell us at enquiry stage.

**Q: Do you do NDT in-house or subcontract it?**

Visual, ultrasonic and magnetic particle testing in-house. Radiography and third-party inspection by SGS, TÜV, BV or your own inspector are arranged on request.
Case studies

Project pages are being prepared. If you want to see comparable work now, ask and we will send the relevant dimensional reports and photographs under NDA.

---

## Thick Plate Cutting up to 80 mm — Laser, Plasma and Flame
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/capabilities/heavy-plate-cutting/

Thick Plate Cutting up to 80 mm — Laser, Plasma and Flame

Cutting is where the tolerance budget for the whole part gets spent or saved. We quote cut quality by ISO 9013 range rather than by a number we made up.

## Capability

| Parameter | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Laser, carbon steel | 20 mm | Max sheet 2000 × 6000 |
| Laser, stainless steel | 10 mm | — |
| Plasma | 40 mm | — |
| Flame | 80 mm | — |
| Cut quality | ISO 9013 Range 2 | Perpendicularity u and Rz5 |
| Cut dimensional tolerance | ±1.0 mm | Thickness dependent |
| Bevel cutting | V, X, K, Y up to 45° | — |
| After the cut | Deburring, grinding, levelling | Edge preparation to your weld detail |
Tolerances and quality levels
- Thermal cutting to **ISO 9013 Range 2** as standard.
- Weldment dimensional tolerances to **ISO 13920 Class B** as standard, a tighter class on request.
- Weld quality to **ISO 5817 Level C** as standard, Level B where the drawing specifies it.
- Machined features to **ISO 2768-m** unless the drawing states otherwise.
- Surface preparation to **ISO 8501-1 Sa 2½**, coating systems to **ISO 12944** up to **C4**.

## Frequently asked

**Q: What thickness can you actually cut, and with what?**

Up to 80 mm by flame, 40 mm by plasma and 20 mm by laser on carbon steel. Above that the edge quality changes and we will tell you what to expect before you order.

**Q: How do you specify cut quality?**

By ISO 9013 range. Range 2 is our standard. That standard defines cut quality by perpendicularity tolerance u and mean profile height Rz5, both of which scale with thickness — which is why a single number like ±0.5 mm tells you very little on its own.

**Q: Do you supply the plate or do we?**

Normally we buy it, and you get the EN 10204 3.1 certificate and the melt-and-pour origin with the parts. If you prefer to supply free-issue plate, we can work with that — tell us at quotation stage.
Case studies

Project pages are being prepared. If you want to see comparable work now, ask and we will send the relevant dimensional reports and photographs under NDA.

---

## Heavy Plate Bending and Rolling
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/capabilities/forming-and-rolling/

Heavy Plate Bending and Rolling

Wear plate and quenched-and-tempered grades do not bend like S355. Most of what goes wrong in forming is a radius that was right for the drawing and wrong for the grade.

## Capability

| Parameter | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Press brake capacity | 400 t | — |
| Max bend length | 4000 mm | At 16 mm thickness |
| Angular tolerance | ISO 13920 Class B | — |
| Plate rolling | 30 × 2500 mm | Thickness × width |
| Min rolled diameter | 600 mm | Grade dependent |
| Forms | U, V, channel, box, cone, radius | — |
Tolerances and quality levels
- Thermal cutting to **ISO 9013 Range 2** as standard.
- Weldment dimensional tolerances to **ISO 13920 Class B** as standard, a tighter class on request.
- Weld quality to **ISO 5817 Level C** as standard, Level B where the drawing specifies it.
- Machined features to **ISO 2768-m** unless the drawing states otherwise.
- Surface preparation to **ISO 8501-1 Sa 2½**, coating systems to **ISO 12944** up to **C4**.

## A note on wear and high-strength grades

NM450 and S690QL need a larger inside radius than carbon steel, and bending across the rolling direction will crack them. If your drawing calls for a radius we think is too tight for the grade, we will tell you at quotation and propose the minimum that works.

## Frequently asked

**Q: What is the minimum bend radius for wear plate?**

It depends on grade, thickness and bend direction. Send us the grade and thickness with the drawing and we will tell you the minimum we will commit to — and whether the radius on your drawing is achievable.

**Q: Can you bend across the rolling direction?**

On carbon and low-alloy grades, usually. On wear plate and quenched-and-tempered grades, generally not without a much larger radius. We will flag it rather than attempt it and crack the part.
Case studies

Project pages are being prepared. If you want to see comparable work now, ask and we will send the relevant dimensional reports and photographs under NDA.

---

## Wear Plate Fabrication — NM400, NM450, NM500 and Comparable Grades
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/materials/wear-resistant-steel/

Wear Plate Fabrication — NM400, NM450, NM500 and Comparable Grades

Wear plate is easy to buy and easy to ruin. Most of the value we add is in not overheating it.

## Grades we work with

| Grade | Comparable to | Typical hardness (HBW) | We process |
|---|---|---|---|
| NM360 | 360-class wear plate | ~360 | cut to 40 mm |
| NM400 | 400-class wear plate | ~400 | cut to 40 mm |
| NM450 | 450-class wear plate | ~450 | cut to 40 mm |
| NM500 | 500-class wear plate | ~500 | cut to 40 mm |

## What we control

Preheat according to grade, thickness and joint restraint. Heat input kept inside the range the plate can take without losing hardness in the heat-affected zone. Cutting method chosen so the cut edge does not become the crack starter.

We do not weld across a wear face if the design lets us move the joint. If it doesn't, we will say so.

## Processing notes

| Minimum bend radius | 1.5–4 × t, grade dependent |
|---|---|
| Bend direction | Transverse to rolling direction only where the drawing allows |
| Preheat | Per EN 1011-2, grade and thickness dependent |
| Machining | Carbide tooling; expect longer cycle times than S355 |

## Certificates and classification

EN 10204 2.2, **3.1** as standard, 3.2 on request. Parts in this family usually classify under CN 7308 / 7326 — see what we can document for CBAM.

Materials and fabrication are supplied according to your drawings and specified standards. Grade equivalency is subject to chemical composition, mechanical properties, impact requirements, heat-treatment condition, thickness range and project-specific approvals. We do not claim any grade to be fully identical to another on the basis of designation alone.

---

## S690QL, S890QL and High-Strength Steel Fabrication
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/materials/high-strength-steel/

S690QL, S890QL and High-Strength Steel Fabrication

Quenched and tempered steel gets its strength from heat treatment, and welding is a heat treatment you did not plan.

## Grades we work with

| GB | EN | ASTM | We process |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q690 | S690QL / S690QL1 | comparable to A514 | cut to 60 mm |
| Q890 | S890QL | — | cut to 60 mm |
| Q960 | S960QL | — | cut to 60 mm |

## Why these grades are quoted differently

Get the heat input wrong and you have S355 in the heat-affected zone with S690 on the drawing. So these jobs carry mandatory preheat, controlled interpass temperature, and consumables matched to the grade — and that is why the price per kilo is not the same as carbon steel.

If your drawing specifies S690QL where S355 would do the job, tell us. Sometimes it is the right call and sometimes it is inherited from an old drawing.

## Certificates and classification

EN 10204 2.2, **3.1** as standard, 3.2 on request. Parts in this family usually classify under CN 7308 / 7326 — see what we can document for CBAM.

Materials and fabrication are supplied according to your drawings and specified standards. Grade equivalency is subject to chemical composition, mechanical properties, impact requirements, heat-treatment condition, thickness range and project-specific approvals. We do not claim any grade to be fully identical to another on the basis of designation alone.

---

## Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel — S355, Q355B, A36 and Equivalents
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/materials/carbon-and-low-alloy-steel/

Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel — S355, Q355B, A36 and Equivalents

The everyday grades. The only thing worth saying about them is which one you are actually getting.

## Grades we work with

| GB | EN | ASTM | JIS | We process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q235B | S235JR | A36 | SS400 | cut to 80 mm |
| Q355B | S355JR / J2 | A572 Gr.50 | SM490 | cut to 80 mm |
| Q420 | S420 | — | — | cut to 80 mm |
| Q460 | S460 | — | — | cut to 80 mm |

## On "equivalent" grades

These grades are close, not identical. S355J2 and Q355B have different impact test temperatures, and if your application needs the J2 impact value, a Q355B certificate does not give it to you. We will tell you which one we are actually buying, and the mill certificate will say so.

## Certificates and classification

EN 10204 2.2, **3.1** as standard, 3.2 on request. Parts in this family usually classify under CN 7308 / 7326 — see what we can document for CBAM.

Materials and fabrication are supplied according to your drawings and specified standards. Grade equivalency is subject to chemical composition, mechanical properties, impact requirements, heat-treatment condition, thickness range and project-specific approvals. We do not claim any grade to be fully identical to another on the basis of designation alone.

---

## Mining and Bulk Handling Equipment Components
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/industries/mining-and-bulk-handling/

Mining and Bulk Handling Equipment Components

Most of what we make for this sector fails by abrasion rather than by load. That changes the material, the joint design and where you are allowed to put a weld.

## What we make for this sector

- Feed chutes and transfer points in NM400–NM500 and comparable grades
- Liners and wear packages, bolted or welded
- Crusher and screen frames, machined after welding to hold the bearing bores
- Conveyor drive bases and pulley shafts
- Bucket and body components for haul and loading equipmentRegulatory note

These are machinery components, not construction products. EN 1090 CE marking does not apply to them — the relevant standards are ISO 3834 for the welding quality system and the welder and procedure qualifications.Case studies

Project pages are being prepared. If you want to see comparable work now, ask and we will send the relevant dimensional reports and photographs under NDA.

---

## Heavy Machinery and Lifting Equipment Components
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/industries/heavy-machinery-and-lifting/

Heavy Machinery and Lifting Equipment Components

On this work the whole job is the tolerance after welding. A frame that measures correctly the day it is welded and moves the following month is a warranty claim.

## What we make for this sector

- Machine frames and bases, stress-relieved then finish-machined in one setup
- Gearbox and drive housings with machined bores and mounting faces
- Boom, jib and mast sections in high-strength steel
- Slew and bearing supports
- Fabricated assemblies supplied to an OEM as part of a machineRegulatory note

Crane and lifting structures normally follow the Machinery Directive route rather than the Construction Products Regulation. If your part is a load-bearing component of a building or civil work, tell us — that requires EN 1090 CE marking and our certification is still in progress.Case studies

Project pages are being prepared. If you want to see comparable work now, ask and we will send the relevant dimensional reports and photographs under NDA.

---

## CBAM and Melt-and-Pour Evidence: What We Can Document
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/compliance/cbam-and-melt-and-pour/

CBAM and Melt-and-Pour Evidence: What We Can Document

If you import welded steel structures or machined steel parts into the EU, two things changed in 2026. From 1 January, CBAM entered its definitive period and CN codes 7308, 7311, 7318 and 7326 are inside its scope. From 1 October, you must be able to show where the steel was melted and poured.

Your supplier either hands you that paperwork, or you pay for it — because without verified installation-level emissions data, your import is valued at China's default of **3.167 tCO₂e per tonne of steel**, against a blast-furnace benchmark of 1.370.
_Figure: Which document comes from whom, and what happens when the chain breaks._

## Which parts are in scope

| CN code | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 7301–7302 | Sheet piling, railway track material |
| 7303–7307 | Tubes, pipes and fittings |
| 7308 | Structures and parts of structures |
| 7311 | Containers for compressed or liquefied gas |
| 7318 | Screws, bolts, nuts and other fasteners |
| 7326 | Other articles of iron or steel |

## Why the default value hurts

| Production route | tCO₂e per tonne |
|---|---|
| Scrap electric arc furnace | 0.072 |
| DRI electric arc furnace | 0.481 |
| Blast furnace / basic oxygen furnace | 1.370 |
| China default value | 3.167 |

## How the cost phases in

| Year | CBAM factor |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.5 % |
| 2027 | 5 % |
| 2028 | 10 % |
| 2029 | 22.5 % |
| 2030 | 48.5 % |
| 2031 | 61 % |
| 2032 | 73.5 % |
| 2033 | 86 % |
| 2034 | 100 % |

## The 50-tonne threshold

An EU importer whose total annual imports across Chapters 72 and 73 stay below 50 tonnes in a calendar year is exempt from surrendering certificates. For heavy fabrication that is three or four large assemblies, and the threshold is measured across every CBAM good you import in the year — not per supplier and not per shipment.

## What we can give you today

EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates for all supplied steel. Documented melt-and-pour country for every heat, traceable to the mill and the heat number. The production route of the supplying mill. Batch-level traceability from plate to finished part.

## What is still in preparation

Verified installation-level emissions data calculated to the EU MRR methodology and checked by an accredited verifier. We are working on it. **We would rather tell you exactly where we are than imply we already have it.**

If CBAM reporting is on your critical path, tell us your timeline and we will tell you honestly whether we can meet it.

## Frequently asked

**Q: Does CBAM apply to machined parts, or only to raw steel?**

It applies to the CN code, not to the amount of processing. A finished machined weldment classified under 7326 is in scope exactly as a hot-rolled plate under 7208 is.

**Q: We import under 50 tonnes a year. Can we ignore this?**

You are exempt from surrendering certificates. You still need melt-and-pour evidence from 1 October 2026 for steel covered by the EU steel measures, and you still want a 3.1 certificate for your own quality file.

**Q: Can you just give us a number for the emissions?**

We can give you the mill's production route and the country of melt and pour, which is what determines the applicable default. We are not going to invent an installation-level figure that has not been verified — an unverified number is worse than no number, because you are the one declaring it.

**Q: What happens if our supplier can't provide this?**

You declare on default values, and from 2028 you pay a 30 % mark-up on top of a country average that is already more than twice the blast-furnace benchmark.

**Q: Do you charge extra for the documentation?**

No. Mill certificates and melt-and-pour records come with the shipment.
With every shipment

Every shipment leaves with the paperwork trail: EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates, documented melt-and-pour origin, welding records, a first-article dimensional report, and the coating and packing record.

---

## Does Your Part Need EN 1090 CE Marking? One Test Decides It
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/compliance/en-1090-ce-marking/

Does Your Part Need EN 1090 CE Marking? One Test Decides It

This gets asked the wrong way round. Buyers ask "is your factory EN 1090 certified?" when the question that actually matters is "is my part a construction product?" For a lot of machinery components, the answer is no, and the certificate is irrelevant.

## Where the line usually falls

| Usually inside EN 1090 | Usually outside |
|---|---|
| Building frames, beams, columns | Machine frames and bases |
| Bridge components | Mining equipment components, chutes, liners |
| Load-bearing platforms forming part of a structure | Crane structures (Machinery Directive route) |
| Roof trusses | Gearbox and drive housings |
| Structural connections in civil works | Weldments supplied to an OEM as part of a machine |

## The test

**If you removed this part, would the strength or stability of a building or civil engineering work be affected?**

**Yes** → it is a load-bearing construction product. It falls under the Construction Products Regulation, EN 1090-1 applies, and it must be CE marked. This has been mandatory since 1 July 2014.

**No** → it is outside EN 1090, therefore outside the CPR, and no CE marking is required under that route.

The Construction Products Regulation also does not apply to support structures that exist solely to support machinery and are supplied as part of the machine.

## Borderline cases

A fixed conveyor gallery, or a frame that both carries a machine and forms part of a building's load path, can go either way. Those need your engineer or a notified body to decide. We will tell you when we think a part is borderline; we will not tell you it's fine because we want the order.

## What EXC costs you

EN 1090-2 defines four execution classes, EXC1 to EXC4, set by the consequence of failure and the type of loading. Your designer specifies it. Higher classes mean more NDT, tighter tolerances and more documentation — it is a cost driver, and it is often inherited from a reused drawing rather than chosen. Ten minutes with the designer before the enquiry goes out is worth real money.

## Where we currently stand

| Certification | Status | Certificate no. | Issuing body | Valid to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | In progress | — | — | — |
| ISO 14001 | Not held | — | — | — |
| ISO 45001 | Not held | — | — | — |
| EN 1090-1 | In progress | — | — | — |
| EN ISO 3834-2 | In progress | — | — | — |
| PED 2014/68/EU | Not held | — | — | — |
| Welder qualifications (EN ISO 9606-1) | In progress | — | — | — |
| WPS / PQR (EN ISO 15614) | In progress | — | — | — |

- **EN 1090-1** — Until it is issued we do not take work that requires CE marking under the CPR.
- **EN ISO 3834-2** — Certification typically takes weeks rather than years. Target date on request.
- **PED 2014/68/EU** — We are not certified for pressure equipment.

## Frequently asked

**Q: Are you EN 1090 certified?**

Not yet — certification is in progress. If your part is a load-bearing construction product we are not the right supplier today and we will tell you so straight away. If it is a machinery component, EN 1090 does not apply to it and the relevant standards are ISO 3834 and the welder and procedure qualifications, which we can send you.

**Q: Is ISO 3834 the same as EN 1090?**

No. ISO 3834 is a welding quality requirement standard, not a CE marking route. It applies whether or not your part is a construction product, and it is what most machinery OEMs actually audit against.

**Q: Who is responsible if a CE-marked part turns out not to be compliant?**

Under the CPR the obligations run along the whole chain — manufacturer, importer and distributor each carry duties. Importing a non-compliant construction product is not only the supplier's exposure.

**Q: Does an ASME U stamp help in Europe?**

Not for pressure equipment placed on the EU market. That requires CE marking under PED 2014/68/EU, with a notified body involved for higher risk categories.
With every shipment

Every shipment leaves with the paperwork trail: EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates, documented melt-and-pour origin, welding records, a first-article dimensional report, and the coating and packing record.

---

## EN 10204 3.1 vs 3.2: Which One You Actually Need
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/compliance/material-certificates-en-10204/

EN 10204 3.1 vs 3.2: Which One You Actually Need

Two characters on a certificate, and they mean different things about who checked the steel.

## The difference in one table

| Type | Who issues it | What it certifies | Independence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Manufacturer | Compliance with the order | No test results |
| 2.2 | Manufacturer | Compliance, with non-specific test results | Not from your batch |
| 3.1 | Manufacturer's authorised inspection representative | Specific test results from your material | Independent of the production department |
| 3.2 | Manufacturer and buyer's representative or independent inspector | Specific test results, countersigned | Independent of the manufacturer |

## When to insist on 3.2

When the material is going into something where failure is expensive or dangerous, when your own customer requires it, when the project specification says so, or when you don't know the mill. Otherwise 3.1 is the industry norm and 3.2 adds cost and lead time for no additional information about the steel.

## What we issue

3.1 as standard on all supplied steel, at no extra charge. 3.2 on request — tell us at enquiry stage, because it has to be arranged before the material is rolled, not after it arrives.

## A warning worth reading

A 3.1 certificate certifies the steel. It does not certify what we did to it. Those are separate records — welding logs, heat treatment charts, NDT reports and the dimensional report — and they come as a separate pack. If a supplier offers you "3.1 certification" for a finished weldment, they are describing the material certificate, not the part.With every shipment

Every shipment leaves with the paperwork trail: EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates, documented melt-and-pour origin, welding records, a first-article dimensional report, and the coating and packing record.

---

## CBAM and Your Chinese Fabricator: What Data You Actually Need
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/resources/cbam-data-your-chinese-fabricator-must-provide/

CBAM and Your Chinese Fabricator: What Data You Actually Need

Most of the CBAM conversation over the past two years has been about steel mills. If you buy finished parts rather than raw steel, it was easy to assume the problem belonged to somebody upstream.

It doesn't. Since 1 January 2026 the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism has been in its definitive period, and the scope is written in CN codes, not in how much work has been done to the metal. A welded assembly that has been cut, formed, welded, stress-relieved, machined and painted is still classified under Chapter 73 — and several of the most common Chapter 73 codes are inside CBAM.

If you import fabricated steel parts into the EU, this is now your problem, and the paperwork that solves it has to come from your supplier.

## Which parts are in scope

CBAM covers Chapter 72 and parts of Chapter 73. The Chapter 73 codes matter most to anyone buying fabricated parts:
| CN code | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 7301–7302 | Sheet piling, railway track material |
| 7303–7307 | Tubes, pipes and fittings |
| **7308** | Structures and parts of structures |
| **7311** | Containers for compressed or liquefied gas |
| **7318** | Screws, bolts, nuts and other fasteners |
| **7326** | Other articles of iron or steel |

Most weldments and machined steel parts land in 7308 or 7326. That last one is a catch-all, and it catches a great deal.

The first thing to do is not to read another CBAM explainer. It is to pull your last twelve months of import declarations and look at the commodity codes you actually used.

## The 50-tonne threshold, and why it protects fewer people than they think

An EU importer whose total annual imports across Chapters 72 and 73 stay below 50 tonnes in a calendar year is exempt from surrendering certificates. It sounds generous.

For anyone buying heavy fabricated parts, 50 tonnes is three or four large assemblies. And the threshold is measured across every CBAM good you import in the year, not per supplier and not per shipment. A buyer who takes two crushers' worth of wear liners from China, some fasteners from India and a few pressure vessels from Turkey adds all of it together.

## What the default value actually costs

Here is where the money is.

If your supplier cannot give you verified installation-level emissions data, your declaration falls back to a default value set by country and product. For steel from China, that default is **3.167 tonnes of CO₂e per tonne of steel**.

Set that next to the benchmarks for the actual production routes:
| Production route | tCO₂e per tonne |
|---|---|
| Scrap electric arc furnace | 0.072 |
| Direct reduced iron, electric arc furnace | 0.481 |
| Blast furnace / basic oxygen furnace | 1.370 |
| **China default value** | **3.167** |

The default is more than twice the blast-furnace benchmark. That is not an accident of measurement. Default values under the CBAM implementing regulation carry a deliberate mark-up above the country-sector average — **10 % in 2026, 20 % in 2027, and 30 % from 2028 onwards**. The mechanism is designed to make collecting real data worth the effort.

So a buyer who accepts "we don't have that data" from a supplier is not choosing between two similar numbers. They are choosing to declare roughly two and a half times the emissions the steel probably actually carried, and then to pay a mark-up on top.

## Why the bill is small this year and large by 2030

The reason many importers have not felt this yet is the phase-in. CBAM obligations rise as free allocation under the EU Emissions Trading System is withdrawn:
| Year | CBAM factor |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.5 % |
| 2027 | 5 % |
| 2028 | 10 % |
| 2029 | 22.5 % |
| 2030 | 48.5 % |
| 2031 | 61 % |
| 2032 | 73.5 % |
| 2033 | 86 % |
| 2034 | 100 % |

In 2026 you surrender certificates against 2.5 % of the embedded emissions. With EU allowances trading in the region of €74–82 per tonne through 2026, the cost on a modest order is genuinely small.

By 2030 the factor is nearly twenty times higher. The supplier you qualify this year is very likely the supplier you are still buying from then, and the difference between one that can document its steel and one that cannot compounds every year in between.

The first declaration and certificate surrender covering 2026 imports falls due on **30 September 2027**. That is the date by which your records need to exist, not the date to start collecting them.

## The five documents to ask your supplier for

None of this requires your supplier to be sophisticated. It requires them to keep records and hand them over. Ask for these, by name:

**1. The mill test certificate, EN 10204 3.1, for every heat.** This is standard practice and any credible fabricator issues it without being asked. If a supplier hesitates here, stop.

**2. The country where the steel was melted and poured.** Not the country of the fabricator, not the port of loading — the country where the liquid steel was originally cast. From 1 October 2026 you need to be able to evidence this for steel covered by the EU steel measures anyway, so you will be asking for it regardless of CBAM.

**3. The production route of the supplying mill.** Blast furnace / basic oxygen furnace, direct reduced iron with electric arc furnace, or scrap electric arc furnace. This single line determines which benchmark your steel sits near, and it is information the mill knows without doing any new work.

**4. The installation.** The specific plant, not just the company. CBAM data is reported at installation level, and a large steel group may operate installations with materially different footprints.

**5. Verified emissions data, where it exists.** Actual emissions calculated to the EU Monitoring and Reporting Regulation methodology and checked by an accredited verifier. This is the one that costs the supplier money and takes time. It is entirely reasonable for a supplier not to have it yet in 2026. It is not reasonable for them to imply that they do.

## How to read the answers you get

You will get three kinds of response.

**"We don't know what you're talking about."** That is at least honest, and it is where a lot of the market still is. Whether it is disqualifying depends on how much you buy and how fast you need the data.

**"Yes, we have full CBAM certification."** Be careful with this one. There is no such thing as CBAM certification for a supplier. There are CBAM certificates, which are the instruments an EU importer buys and surrenders — the supplier does not hold them. A supplier can hold *verified emissions data*. If they describe it any other way, they are repeating a phrase rather than describing a document. Ask to see the verifier's report.

**"Here is the mill, the installation, the route and the melt-and-pour country. Verified emissions data is in preparation."** This is the good answer in 2026. It means the supplier understands the chain, has the traceability in place, and is not overstating where they are.

## Where we are

We supply EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates as standard, document the melt-and-pour country for every heat against the job number, and can state the production route of the supplying mill. Traceability runs from plate to finished part.

Verified installation-level emissions data to the MRR methodology, checked by an accredited verifier, is in preparation. We would rather tell you exactly where we are than let you assume more.

If CBAM reporting is on your critical path, tell us your timeline and we will tell you honestly whether we can meet it.

## FAQ

**Does CBAM apply to machined parts, or only to raw steel?** It applies to the CN code, not to the amount of processing. A finished machined weldment classified under 7326 is in scope exactly as a hot-rolled plate under 7208 is.

**We import under 50 tonnes a year. Can we ignore this?** You are exempt from surrendering certificates. You still need melt-and-pour evidence from 1 October 2026 for steel covered by the EU steel measures, and you still want a 3.1 certificate for your own quality file.

**Can a supplier just give us an emissions number?** They can give you a number. Whether you should declare it depends on whether it was calculated to the EU methodology and verified. An unverified number is worse than no number, because you are the one declaring it.

**What is the difference between the default value and the benchmark?** The benchmark describes what a given production route typically emits. The default value is what the EU applies to your import when nobody has supplied verified actual data, and it is set deliberately above the country-sector average.

**Is CBAM going to cover more products?** The Commission published a proposal in December 2025 to extend the scope from 1 January 2028 to a large group of downstream steel- and aluminium-intensive goods. If your product is not in scope today, check again before you build a long-term supply plan around that assumption.

**Sources** Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2621 of 16 December 2025 (CBAM default values), as corrected by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1740; Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2547 (accreditation of verifiers); European Commission CBAM legislation and guidance; EU ETS allowance prices, 2026.

---

## Melt-and-Pour Evidence for EU Steel Imports: A Buyer’s Checklist
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/resources/melt-and-pour-evidence-eu-steel-imports/

Melt-and-Pour Evidence for EU Steel Imports: A Buyer's Checklist

On 1 July 2026 the EU replaced its steel safeguard with a new regime under Regulation (EU) 2026/1384. Most of the coverage focused on the two headline numbers: the tariff-free quota cut to 18,345,922 tonnes a year, and the out-of-quota duty doubled from 25 % to 50 %.

The quieter clause matters more to anyone running a supply chain. **From 1 October 2026, importers must be able to provide evidence of the country where the steel was originally melted and poured.**

This is not a tariff. It is a documentation requirement, and it is the kind that quietly disqualifies a supplier three days before a vessel sails.

## What melt-and-pour actually means

The country of melt and pour is the country where the liquid steel was first cast into a solid form — a slab, a billet, a bloom, an ingot. Everything that happens afterwards is processing.

That is the whole point of the rule. Rolling, cutting, welding and machining are all substantial operations, and under ordinary origin rules they can change the declared origin of a product. Melt and pour looks past all of that to the furnace.

For a fabricator, the practical consequence is simple: **the origin that matters is the origin of the plate, not the location of the workshop.** A weldment fabricated in one country from plate cast in another has two origins in the paperwork, and from October 2026 the EU wants to see both.

## Why the rule exists

The EU has spent years applying trade measures country by country and watching volumes move rather than fall. Semi-finished steel could be shipped to a third country, processed, and enter the EU with a different declared origin.

Melt-and-pour closes that route. It also has a second effect that gets less attention: it makes the honest supply chain easier to prove. A fabricator who buys from a known mill, keeps the mill certificate against the heat number and can produce it on request now has something a re-labelling operation cannot fake cheaply.

## The timeline

| Date | What changes |
|---|---|
| **1 July 2026** | New regime applies. Quota 18,345,922 t/year; out-of-quota duty 50 %; 26 product categories. |
| **1 October 2026** | Importers must provide evidence of the melt-and-pour country. |
| **31 December 2026** | Commission assessment on extending the covered CN codes. |
| **30 June 2027** | Commission assessment on whether to bring **downstream steel products** into the regime. |
| **1 October 2027** | Melt-and-pour data starts feeding into how country quotas are allocated. |
| **30 June 2028** | Assessment of whether melt-and-pour becomes the primary basis for quota access. |
| From **30 June 2029** | Product-scope review every two years. |

That 30 June 2027 line is the one to watch if you buy fabricated parts rather than mill products. Downstream articles are currently outside the base regime. Whether they stay outside is a decision with a date on it.

## What the evidence looks like in practice

There is no exotic new document. In almost every case the evidence is the mill test certificate you should already be receiving, which normally names the producing mill and the heat number, plus a statement of the country of melt and pour.

A workable record has six lines per heat:
- Heat number
- Mill name and the specific installation
- Country where the steel was melted and poured
- Production route (BF-BOF, DRI-EAF, scrap-EAF)
- Grade and specification
- Which of your parts that heat went into

The last line is the one fabricators most often skip, and it is the one that makes the record usable. A pile of mill certificates that cannot be tied to specific parts is an archive, not evidence.

## What to ask your supplier, before you need it

**"Which mill did this plate come from, and in which country was it melted and poured?"** If the answer is the name of a trader rather than a mill, ask again. Traders are fine; not knowing the mill is not.

**"Can you show the heat number on the certificate and tell me which of my parts it went into?"** This tests traceability, which is the part that is hard to retrofit.

**"Do you keep this record, or do you generate it when a customer asks?"** Generated-on-demand records have a way of not existing when the customer is a customs authority.

**"Does the plate for my next order come from the same mill?"** Supply gets substituted, especially on long lead items and when prices move. You want to know before the substitution, not after.

## One thing to be careful about

Melt-and-pour evidence and CBAM emissions data are different requirements arriving at the same time, and they get conflated.

Melt-and-pour answers *where*. It comes from the mill certificate, costs nothing extra, and is required from October 2026.

CBAM answers *how much carbon*. It requires installation-level data calculated to the EU methodology and, for actual figures rather than defaults, verification by an accredited verifier.

A supplier who can do the first has not necessarily done the second. A supplier who claims the second but cannot do the first is worth a second look.

## Where we are

We record the heat number, mill, installation, melt-and-pour country and production route against the job number for every batch of plate we buy, and it travels with the shipment along with the EN 10204 3.1 certificate. It costs us nothing to keep and it saves you the phone calls.

**Sources** Regulation (EU) 2026/1384 (published in the Official Journal, in force 25 June 2026, applicable from 1 July 2026); European Commission and trade-compliance analyses of the new EU steel regime, 2026.

---

## EN 1090 EXC3 and ISO 3834-2: What They Mean When You Buy Weldments from Asia
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/resources/en-1090-exc3-iso-3834-buying-weldments-from-asia/

EN 1090 EXC3 and ISO 3834-2: What They Mean When You Buy Weldments from Asia

There is a question that comes up in almost every first conversation with a European buyer: *"Are you EN 1090 certified?"*

It is a reasonable question and usually the wrong one. For a large share of the parts that get made in Asia and shipped to Europe, EN 1090 does not apply at all, and a supplier who says yes without checking has told you something about their diligence rather than about their capability.

Here is how the boundary actually works.

## The test that decides it

EN 1090-1 is a harmonised standard under the Construction Products Regulation, (EU) 305/2011. Its scope is structural steel and aluminium components used as **load-bearing parts of construction works**. CE marking under EN 1090-1 has been mandatory since 1 July 2014.

So the question is not about the factory. It is about the part:

**If you removed this component, would the strength or stability of a building or civil engineering work be affected?**

**Yes** — it is a load-bearing construction product. The CPR applies, EN 1090-1 applies, and it must be CE marked. No certificate, no legal placing on the market.

**No** — it is outside EN 1090, therefore outside the CPR, and no CE marking is required by that route.

There is an explicit carve-out worth knowing: the CPR does not apply to support structures that exist solely to support machinery and are supplied as part of the machine. A frame that holds a conveyor drive is not a construction product because it happens to be made of steel and bolted to a floor.

## Where the line usually falls

| Usually inside EN 1090 | Usually outside |
|---|---|
| Building frames, beams, columns | Machine frames and bases |
| Bridge components | Mining equipment components, chutes, liners |
| Load-bearing platforms forming part of a structure | Crane structures (Machinery Directive route) |
| Roof trusses | Gearbox and drive housings |
| Structural connections in civil works | Weldments supplied to an OEM as part of a machine |

Borderline cases are real. A fixed conveyor gallery may be a construction work. A frame that both carries a machine and forms part of a building's load path can go either way. Those decisions belong to your engineer or a notified body, not to your supplier's sales department — and a supplier who confidently tells you a borderline part is fine is telling you they want the order more than they want to be right.

## What EXC actually costs you

If your part is in scope, EN 1090-2 assigns it an execution class: EXC1 through EXC4. The class is set by the consequences of failure and the type of loading, and your designer specifies it.

The practical effect of moving up a class is more non-destructive testing, tighter tolerances, more welder and procedure qualification, and considerably more documentation. EXC3 is the common specification for significant load-bearing steelwork; EXC4 is for structures where failure would be catastrophic.

The point for a buyer is this: **execution class is a cost driver, and it is often inherited rather than chosen.** Drawings get reused. A class that was right for one project gets carried into the next one where it isn't. Before you send an EXC3 package out for quotation, it is worth ten minutes with the designer confirming that EXC3 is what this particular part needs. If it isn't, the saving is real and it costs nothing to find.

## ISO 3834 is a different thing, and often the more relevant one

EN ISO 3834 gets mentioned in the same breath as EN 1090 and is regularly assumed to be part of it. It is not the same instrument.

**EN 1090** is a route to CE marking under construction products law. It applies to construction products.

**EN ISO 3834** is a set of quality requirements for fusion welding. It says nothing about CE marking. It applies to any manufacturer who welds, whether or not the output is a construction product.

ISO 3834 comes in three levels: 3834-2 (comprehensive), 3834-3 (standard) and 3834-4 (elementary). 3834-2 is what a serious fabricator holds.

For machinery components — which is most of what moves from Asia to European OEMs — ISO 3834-2 is the standard that actually matters, and it is what OEM supplier audits are generally built around. It sits on top of ISO 9001 rather than replacing it, and certification is typically valid for three years with annual surveillance audits. Where a fabricator already has documented procedures and qualified personnel, the certification process is measured in weeks rather than years — published timelines from certification bodies commonly fall in the four-to-ten week range, depending on how ready the documentation is.

That difference in timescale is worth understanding when you assess a supplier. A fabricator without EN 1090 may be two years away from it. A fabricator without ISO 3834-2 could have it before your next order ships — or has chosen not to bother, which tells you something else.

## The three documents that tell you more than any certificate

Whatever the certification position, these are what a welding engineer would actually ask to see:

**The WPS.** A welding procedure specification for the joint type, material and thickness range on your drawing. Ask for the one that covers *your* part, not a sample.

**The PQR.** The procedure qualification record that backs the WPS — the evidence that the procedure was tested and passed. A WPS without a PQR behind it is a document, not a qualification.

**Welder qualifications.** Certificates to EN ISO 9606-1 or an equivalent, current, and covering the processes and positions your part needs. These expire. Check the dates.

A supplier who can produce these three within a day is a supplier with a welding quality system, regardless of what is framed on the wall in reception. A supplier who takes two weeks and sends something generic is telling you how the job will run.

## What to do with all of this

If you are buying **machinery components**: EN 1090 is probably irrelevant. Ask for ISO 3834-2, the WPS/PQR for your joints, and current welder qualifications. Ask how weld quality is verified and what NDT is done in-house.

If you are buying **load-bearing components for construction works**: EN 1090-1 certification at the correct execution class is not negotiable, and the obligations under the CPR run through the importer and distributor as well as the manufacturer. That means a non-compliant part is your regulatory problem too, not only your supplier's.

If you are not sure which one you have: apply the test at the top of this article. If it is still ambiguous, that is a question for your engineer or a notified body — and it is worth resolving before the enquiry goes out, not after the parts arrive.

## Where we are

Our EN 1090-1 certification is in progress. Until it is issued we do not take work that requires CE marking under the Construction Products Regulation, and we will say so at enquiry stage rather than at delivery.

For machinery components we work to qualified welding procedures with recorded parameters, and we can send the relevant WPS and welder qualifications with the quotation. Our ISO 3834-2 position and certificate details are on our compliance page, kept current.

## FAQ

**Are you EN 1090 certified?** Not yet — it is in progress. If your part is a load-bearing construction product we will tell you straight away that we are not the right supplier today. If it is a machinery component, EN 1090 does not apply to it.

**Is ISO 3834 the same as EN 1090?** No. ISO 3834 is a welding quality requirement standard. EN 1090 is a route to CE marking under construction products law. A fabricator can hold ISO 3834-2 without holding EN 1090, and for machinery work that is often the right combination.

**Who is responsible if a CE-marked part turns out not to be compliant?** Under the CPR the obligations run along the whole chain — manufacturer, importer and distributor each carry duties. Importing a non-compliant construction product is not only the supplier's exposure.

**Does an ASME U stamp help in Europe?** Not for pressure equipment placed on the EU market. That requires CE marking under PED 2014/68/EU, with a notified body involved for higher risk categories. Dual certification is possible but they are two separate routes and have to be planned from the design stage.

**Sources** Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 (Construction Products Regulation); EN 1090-1 and EN 1090-2; BSI clarification document on the scope of EN 1090-1; EN ISO 3834 series; certification body published guidance on ISO 3834 certification timelines and validity; Directive 2014/68/EU (PED).

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## Why Instant Quoting Doesn’t Work for Heavy Weldments
URL: https://kunwuheavy.com/resources/why-instant-quoting-does-not-work-for-heavy-weldments/

Why Instant Quoting Doesn't Work for Heavy Weldments

If you buy machined parts, you have probably become used to uploading a STEP file and having a price back before you have closed the tab. That model is now a large and growing business. Xometry reported roughly $687 million of revenue for 2025, of which about $630 million came through its marketplace, up 30 % year on year, with close to 5,000 active suppliers and more than 85,000 active buyers. Protolabs' CNC machining line was its largest and fastest growing in 2026.

It works. For a bracket, a housing, a shaft, a sheet metal panel — it works very well, and a fabricator who tells you otherwise is protecting something.

But there is a boundary, and it is not vague. It is published, in inches, by the platforms themselves.

## The boundary, in numbers

Xometry publishes its CNC machining size limitations. The milling work envelope is a machine travel of **64 in × 32 in × 38 in** — about 1,626 × 813 × 965 mm. Turning goes up to about **18 in diameter**. The same guidance notes that travel is not the same as maximum part size: deep features need long tooling, which eats into the usable envelope before you reach the stated numbers.

That is a machine roughly one and a half metres across its longest axis.

A crusher feed chute is longer than that. So is a gearbox housing for a mill drive, a slew bearing support, a press frame, a conveyor drive base, a boom section. The moment your part does not fit inside that box, you have left the market that instant quoting serves — not because the algorithm is bad, but because there is no machine on the other side of it.

## Why the algorithm cannot follow you past the boundary

It would be easy to assume this is a temporary limitation and that the envelopes will grow. They will, a little. But the deeper reason instant quoting stops at heavy weldments is not machine size. It is that **the cost of a large fabricated part is not a function of its geometry.**

An instant quote is fundamentally a volumetric calculation: material removed, tool paths, setup count, finish. Feed it a solid model and it can compute all of those to a useful accuracy.

Now consider what actually determines the cost of a five-tonne welded and machined assembly:

**The weld sequence.** How the part is welded determines how much it distorts, which determines how much stock has to be left for machining, which determines the cycle time. Two engineers can look at the same drawing and propose sequences that differ by 20 % in cost. No geometry parser sees this.

**Whether it is stress-relieved, and when.** A weldment that is machined before stress relief will move afterwards. Getting this order wrong does not show up as a cost — it shows up as a part that measures correctly on Tuesday and is out of tolerance the following month. The decision is a process decision, not a geometric one.

**How many times it is picked up.** The tolerance you can hold across a large assembly is governed mostly by how many separate setups it goes through and what it is referenced from each time. A part machined in one setup off a machined datum behaves completely differently from the same part machined in three setups off a welded edge.

**Handling and fixturing.** Every crane lift is time. Every custom fixture is cost. Neither is visible in a STEP file.

**The inspection level.** UT on full-penetration welds versus visual only can be a double-digit percentage of the price of the part. The drawing may specify it; often it does not, and the answer has to be asked for.

**What the drawing does not say.** On heavy fabricated parts, the most expensive item in a quotation is frequently the ambiguity — a datum that moves, a tolerance that cannot be held on the specified feature, a radius too tight for the grade. These need someone to notice them and raise them *before* the price is fixed.

An algorithm that returned a number for a part like this would not be fast. It would be wrong, in one of two directions: low enough that somebody loses money and the relationship, or high enough that nobody orders.

## What a quotation for a heavy weldment should contain instead

If not a number in ten seconds, then what? A quotation on this kind of work should be a document you can put straight into your purchasing system, with eight things in it:
- **Technical understanding confirmed** — the supplier restating what they think you asked for. This is where drawing ambiguities surface.
- **The proposed process route** — how it will be made, in what order, and why.
- **Material proposal and equivalency note** — what grade, from where, and if substituted, on what basis.
- **Price breakdown** — material, machining, surface treatment, inspection, packing, transport, itemised.
- **Lead time with milestones**, not one number.
- **Inspection plan and the documents you will receive.**
- **Packing and Incoterms.**
- **Validity and assumptions.**

The reason to want all of this is not thoroughness for its own sake. It is that **the quotation is the only chance to find out what the supplier actually understood before money is committed.** A price on its own tells you nothing about whether they read the drawing.

## What is a reasonable turnaround, then

Instant quoting reset everybody's expectations, and the reset was healthy. Three days for a price on a part somebody can look at in twenty minutes is not defensible.

A workable standard for heavy fabrication looks like this:
- **Within four working hours**: acknowledgement, and a first read of the drawing. Either it is inside the supplier's envelope or it is not, and you should be told that immediately.
- **Within forty-eight hours**: a full quotation, if the drawing package is complete.
- **Within four working hours, if the package is not complete**: a specific, itemised list of what is missing and why each item is needed. Not "please provide more information."

That is fast enough to compete and slow enough to be right.

## Where the two markets meet

None of this is an argument against instant quoting. If your part fits in the envelope and is a standard machining job, use the platforms — the price will be competitive and the process is genuinely better than sending emails.

The argument is narrower: **know which side of the line your part is on, and stop expecting the tooling from one side to work on the other.** A supplier who offers instant online pricing on twenty-tonne weldments is either quoting from a lookup table that will be renegotiated later, or has not thought about it.

If you want to know which side you are on before you talk to anybody, the honest version of an instant quote for this kind of work is a capability check: material, thickness, size, weight, tightest tolerance — and an answer that says yes, needs review, or no, with a reason.

We publish ours, including the point at which we say no and what kind of shop you should be looking for instead.

## FAQ

**Why won't you give me an instant price?** Because on parts this size the cost is set by the weld sequence, the number of setups and the inspection level, none of which are in the CAD file. A number produced without those decisions is a guess. You would get it faster and it would be wrong.

**How large a part can typical instant-quote platforms handle?** Xometry's published CNC milling travel is 64 × 32 × 38 inches, with turning to about 18 inches diameter, and the guidance notes that travel is not the same as usable part size. Past that, quoting goes to a person somewhere regardless of what the interface looks like.

**How fast can you actually quote?** Acknowledgement within four working hours, full quotation within forty-eight when the drawing package is complete. If something on the drawing is ambiguous you hear about it in the first four hours, not on day three.

**What makes a drawing package "complete"?** A 2D drawing with tolerances and datums, the material grade or standard, the quantity, the surface and heat treatment requirement, and the inspection level. A 3D model on its own is not enough — the model does not say which features matter.

**Sources** Xometry investor relations, full-year 2025 and Q1 2026 results; Xometry published CNC machining size limitations; Protolabs quarterly results, 2026.

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