Welding Services

CERTIFIED WELDING

BWI has been providing welding repair, metal fabrication, and portable welding services in Duluth, Superior, northern Minnesota and Wisconsin since 1984. We have decades of experience fabricating and repairing steel, aluminum, and stainless steel industrial products. Altogether our AWS certified welders have performed thousands of unique product fabrications and repairs. This includes numerous metal fabrication abilities such as MIG and TIG welding, cutting, shearing, drilling, machining, forming, shape cutting, punching, and powder-coat finishing. Regardless of whether your job is big or small - BWI can help with your metal fabrication and welding needs. This can be building or repairing, manufacturing and prototyping, from CAD 3-D renderings through the final product. Contact BWI for any of your steel, aluminum, and stainless steel projects.

ALUMINUM WELDING

We Specialize in Aluminum Welding - At BWI our certified expert TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welders can fabricate or repair a wide range of aluminum products. Particularly, we have repaired many marine products such as boats, canoes, pontoons, radar arches, docks, and boat lifts. Also, since 1984 BWI has been repairing trucking related items. This includes dump boxes, trailer frames, tailgates, and fuel tanks. In addition, BWI can fabricate industrial aluminum products such as guardrails, stair sections, access platforms, and catwalk sections. Whether big or small, industrial or residential - BWI has experience with your aluminum needs. Contact BWI about your next project.

SAMPLE FABRICATIONS

cart for mounting machine base
Machine Base Cart
welding - catwalk section
Catwalk Section
welding - shipping cabinet
Shipping Cabinet
welding - portable coolant tank
Portable Coolant Tank
welding - aluminum fire training pan
Aluminum Test Pan
welding - stainless steel filter
Stainless Steel Filter
welding - bio material spheronizing machine
Bio Material Spheronizer
aluminum industrial machine hubs
Aluminum Machine Hubs
stainless steel pipe offsets
Stainless Pipe Offsets
tapered outlet grease storage tanks
Bulk Grease Tanks
welding - crossover stair section
Crossover Stair Section
i beam frame bolted together
Beam Support Assembly

CUSTOM TANK MANUFACTURING

BWI can manufacture custom tanks of most any kind. This includes rectangular, cylindrical, tapered bottom, tote tanks, double-wall, and uneven shaped tanks. For over three decades BWI has been manufacturing tanks for the fuel and lubricant industries including tank racks, tank carts, and containment pans. We have made everything from 2 gallon hydraulic tanks up to 10,000 gallon bulk storage. In addition - for the trucking industry - we have repaired, patched, or split hundreds of fuel tanks over the years. Please contact us for pricing and expertise on your text steel, aluminum, or stainless steel tank project.

  • Oil Tanks
  • Fuel Tanks
  • Gasoline Tanks
  • Grease Tanks
  • Lubricant Tanks
  • Hydraulic Tanks
  • Water Tanks
  • Rectangular Tanks
  • Cylindrical Tanks
  • Tapered Tanks
  • Stackable Totes
  • Bench Top Tanks
  • Tank Carts
  • Containment Pans
tapered bottom grease tanks
set of cylindrical tanks
tote tank with sight gauge in front
portable tank cart

COMMON METAL ALLOYS

Structural Steel

Steel plate used in construction must meet certain criteria such as high strength, formability, ability to withstand subzero temperatures and weldability.

A36: This steel is produced using a minimum yield of 36,000 psi. It has all the qualities used in structural projects requiring weldments, bolting and riveting fabrications. You will find this grade of carbon steel used most often in the construction of buildings, bridges and oil rigs.

A514 T-1: This is a heat-treated steel that offers high strength capabilities, weldability, and has few preheat requirements. Used in construction, it provides excellent durability in subzero temperatures.

A572 GR 50: This steel has a 50,000 psi minimum strength level offering a combination of high strength along with formability and is very weldable. This steel is frequently used in applications such as pressure vessels and boilers. It also achieves successful results when used in less demanding commercial projects.

Aluminum

3003 Aluminum is considered the most popular aluminum alloy because of its moderate strength, good workability, and reasonable corrosion resistance. It excels in many applications, so many that it is known as a “general-use” alloy. Because of this, it is hard to encompass all of 3003 aluminum’s applications. Some popular uses include sheet metal stock, trucks and trailers, fuel tanks, and cabinets.

5052 Aluminum is stronger than other popular alloys and has increased corrosion resistance. These characteristics allow 5052 aluminum to excel in the marine industry as well as in electronics and chemical applications. The uses of 5052 aluminum are vast, but some notable applications include pressure vessels, hydraulic tubes, medical equipment, and signage.

6061 Aluminum is one of the most widely used aluminum alloys. Its weld-ability and formability make it suitable for many general-purpose applications. Its high strength and corrosion resistance lend type 6061 alloy particularly useful in architectural, structural, and motor vehicle applications. It has many applications in the marine, electronics, and aircraft industries.

6063 Aluminum is most often in the form of extrusions. It has good workability, weldability, and moderate strength. These properties allow 6063 aluminum to excel in architectural applications, and it is used so often in this manner that it is commonly referred to as “architectural aluminum”. 6063 aluminum alloy is most common for piping, tubing, general extrusions, architectural and building products.

Abrasion Resistant Steel

Developed according to a specific carbon-manganese specification, this steel plate is designed to withstand wear resistance many times better than ordinary steel plate.

AR360: This plate offers minimum Brinell rating of 360 and a tensile strength of 177,000 psi, ranking the material medium for hardness and strength. Uses for this steel include the manufacture of heavy construction equipment.

AR400: This steel provides a high degree of hardness and strength because of its quenched and tempered chrome-moly, boron treatment. AR400 plate is resistant to corrosion from atmospheric conditions and protects well against impact abrasion. Uses for this plate include material handling equipment for mining.

AR500: This grade of steel is fabricated through heat treatment to achieve through-hardening as well as improved welding and forming capabilities. With a tensile strength of 247 ksi and a minimum yield of 187 ksi, it provides extraordinary protection from wear, including rub wear, slide wear, and heavy wear. It is also able to withstand high impact stress, regardless of temperature.

Stainless Steel

304 Stainless Steel is often referred to as “food-grade” stainless steel, as it is unreactive with most organic acids and is used in the food processing industry. However, its excellent weldability, machinability, and workability also suits these stainless steels to all strucural applications. Anything which requires a high level of corrosion resistance.

316 Stainless Steel is the second-most widely used stainless steel grade after stainless steel 304. The greatest difference between 304 and 316 is the addition of molybdenum. This increases its corrosion resistance compared to other grades of stainless steel. The addition of other alloys further enhances its properties. It is used in corrosive environments such as chemical plants, refineries, and marine equipment.