How FindBlues Helps You Import Custom Aluminum Outdoor Products — The Complete Process

Why Source Directly From FindBlues

We Deliver Complex Projects — Not Just Products

Every manufacturer offers a catalog — and we do too. Our catalog covers every product category we manufacture: gates, fences, pergolas, carports, awnings, screens, water walls, and planter boxes. For many clients, selecting from proven designs and adapting dimensions to their site is the right approach — efficient, predictable, and cost-effective.

But a significant portion of our work falls outside any catalog. When the hotel hosting President Xi Jinping's state visit required a monumental aluminum gate, there was no existing design to reference. The specification was a unique set of dimensions, structural requirements, and an immovable deadline. Our engineering and fabrication teams designed the solution from first principles — profile geometry, internal reinforcement, hardware integration, and coating specification — and delivered on time.

When China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Ecology and Environment needed entrance gates for their government compounds, the brief was equally specific: exact specification, flawless execution, zero tolerance for visible imperfection.

Whether your project calls for a proven catalog design or something that has never been built before, the complete manufacturing capability — extrusion, CNC cutting, welding, and coating — exists under one roof, managed by one team, refined over two decades. The lessons from our most complex projects now live in our engineering standards. Every product we build benefits from that accumulated knowledge — catalog or custom.

Why Complex Custom Work Requires Deep Engineering

Building a custom product to a unique specification requires the ability to reason from first principles about structure, material behavior, fabrication sequence, and coating performance — not just follow a drawing that has been produced thousands of times before.

Over 20 years of custom aluminum fabrication, our engineering team has answered — and solved — questions that only arise when you step outside standard specifications: How does gate width affect the load-carrying capacity of a given profile cross-section? Does a laser-cut decorative pattern compromise panel structural rigidity? How does custom geometry affect powder adhesion during the curing process?

These are not theoretical questions. They have been tested on actual projects, refined through iteration, and codified into the standards our engineering team applies to every new design. That accumulated knowledge is the most valuable thing a 20-year factory offers your project. Whether your order is from our catalog or a fully custom commission, the same engineering discipline applies.

Complete Manufacturing Under One Roof

At FindBlues, the entire journey — from raw 6063-T5 virgin aluminum billet to packaged, ready-to-ship product — happens in our facility. We extrude the profiles. We cut them on our CNC machines. We weld at our stations. We apply TIGER Drylac® powder coating from Austria with PVDF fluoropolymer technology on our line. One team, one quality standard, one point of accountability.

The Import Process — Three Phases, Step by Step

Phase 1 — Inquiry and Design Confirmation

Step 1: Send Your Requirements to Our Team

The process starts with a clear brief. The more detail you provide, the more accurate our initial quotation will be. A useful inquiry includes:

• Product type(s): gate, fence, pergola, carport, awning, screen, water wall, planter box — or a combination.
• Quantities per type.
• Approximate dimensions: width, height, depth for each product.
• Desired finish: RAL color code or general color direction.
• Any special requirements: laser-cut patterns, specific hardware, automation (motorized louvered roofs, swing gate operators).
• Project location: country and general climate (coastal, inland, cold climate, etc.).
• Timeline: when you need delivery.

Step 2: Review and Accept Our Quotation

Our quotation goes beyond a price. It includes:

• Itemized pricing per product type and quantity.
• Material specification: alloy grade (6063-T5), coating system (TIGER Drylac® + PVDF), hardware type.
• Production lead time: from order confirmation to ready-to-ship.
• Shipping estimate: to your nearest major port, with estimated transit time.
• Payment terms and milestone schedule.

Step 3: We Produce Your Design Drawings and 3D Renderings for Approval

Once the quotation is accepted, our design team produces detailed production drawings showing exactly what will be built: overall dimensions, profile cross-sections, color reference samples. Approved drawings function as the production agreement between us — there is no ambiguity about dimensions, profiles, or colors.

Phase 2 — Production and Quality Control

Step 4: Material Preparation and Extrusion

Production begins with raw material: 6063-T5 virgin aluminum billets. The billets are heated and extruded through custom dies to produce the profiles that form the structural frame of your products.

Virgin aluminum (not recycled) is critical here. Recycled aluminum varies in composition from batch to batch, which affects weldability, surface finish consistency, and long-term structural performance.

Step 5: Cutting, Welding, and Assembly

Extruded profiles are cut to exact dimensions, then assembled through precision TIG welding. Clean, full-penetration welds at every joint; consistent gap control; precise angle alignment.

Step 6: Surface Treatment — TIGER Drylac® + PVDF Coating

All products for export go through the same coating system: TIGER Drylac® powder coating from Austria, combined with PVDF fluoropolymer technology. Every product — whether a gate for a UK villa, a fence for a German garden, or a pergola for a Dutch terrace — receives this coating as standard.

Step 7: Quality Inspection

Before packing, every product undergoes a final inspection: dimensional verification, weld quality check, coating uniformity, hardware fit, and structural integrity.

Phase 3 — Packing, Shipping, and Delivery

Step 8: Export-Grade Packing

Each product is individually wrapped in protective film or foam, then packed in fumigation-free wooden crates. All crates use ISPM 15 compliant fumigation-free wood and are labeled with handling instructions and product contents.

Step 9: Shipping — Ocean Freight to Your Nearest Port

The most common shipping method for aluminum outdoor products is Full Container Load (FCL) ocean freight. Transit time to the UK is 30-40 days, Germany is 30-35 days, and the Netherlands is 28-35 days.

Step 10: Final Delivery — Port to Project Site

The final leg — from the destination port to your project site — is typically arranged by the importer (you) using a local freight forwarder or trucking service.

Common Questions Importers Ask — Answered Honestly