Understanding all of the different components to a steel frame building can be quite informative. We believe that if our customers are well informed they will recognize that the Olympia Steel Buildings provides superior steel buildings. Each building receives the utmost care and attention throughout the manufacturing process. You can be sure that every Olympia building is made of the finest quality, 100% American made materials, manufactured by experienced craftsmen and watched over by a dedicated staff of professionals from start to finish. Precision engineering, precision machinery and precision components, and exceptional quality control yield a precision high quality manufactured steel building product.
When a customer purchases a building through Olympia Steel Buildings, the sales technician forwards the purchaser’s order to the steel building factory where the order entry staff oversees the order from the time it is received until the building is shipped.
The steel buildings factory staff verifies design codes, snow and wind loads and seismic information to make sure that everything complies with the purchaser’s contract. They then place the order into the Master and Permit Schedules where it is efficiently managed ensuring that all deadlines are met and sales technicians are updated with pertinent information.
Building information, including required snow and wind loads and seismic information is input into a metal building software program that generates complete anchor bolt placement drawings that show both the location of the anchor bolts and the kip reactions that help determine foundation requirements. The drawings show both front and rear elevations. The metal building software program also generates engineered shop drawings for the framing of the building.
The steel building factory engineering department is responsible for the optimization of the building and each engineer is certified by the state where the building is to be erected. They factory engineering department reviews all kip reactions on building drawings and the purchase order is checked once again for accuracy. The permit drawings are then created and can be used to help secure permits to erect the building.
The steel buildings factory booking department then reviews the order with the purchaser, including all drawings. COD charges are discussed and a booking letter is sent to the purchaser setting up the projected delivery date of the building. The booking department also reviews the permit drawings with the purchaser to make sure all building details are correct.
The factory drafting people create shop drawings for each department. The drafting people also prepare the Bill of Materials and the construction drawings that are sent to the purchaser before the shipment of the building.
All raw materials are ordered through the purchasing department. The customer service department handles all customer concerns including component and shipment issues and customer questions regarding the erection of the building. Other departments that are an integral part of the steel building factory operation are engineering and drafting.
Quality Control is maintained throughout the plant by department supervisors who conduct quality inspections and are held responsible for the components manufactured in their assigned area. The receiving department closely checks and certifies all materials as they are delivered.
Actual production of pre-engineered steel buildings begins with the input of information into Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinery, a process that involves the use of computers to control the machines that are programmed with CNC machining language (G-code). This is used to control all features including feeds and speeds.
Once all building data is input into the system the buildings various components are systematically manufactured in designated areas throughout the steel building factory. Each factory workstation area is designed to complete a specific function in the building manufacture process. The entire metal building manufacturing process is automated using conveyors that move the material from station to station throughout the plant.
The manufacturing of the rafters and columns begins with the plasma table. The Plasma Table cuts the web, which is the center of the rafter or column (the center of the letter “H”). The web is then transferred to a holding station waiting to be picked up and moved by the conveyor system to the station where the web is tack-welded to the flange prior to going through the automatic welding machine.
The flange machine cuts the flanges into specified lengths from bar stock. Holes are then punched in the flanges. The flanges are then transferred to a holding station waiting to be moved to the conveyor system where the flanges are tack-welded to the web prior to going through the automatic welding machine.
Welders tack-weld the flanges and webs into place to form the rafters and columns. At the PHI machine, the Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) process is used to permanently weld the flanges to the web. Submerged Arc Welding is an automatic process that creates excellent weld penetration and a uniform fillet weld bead, permanently fusing the web and flange materials
Connection plates are attached to the rafters and columns to allow them to be joined to form the rigid frame of the building. Base plates are welded to the bottom of the columns of the frame to allow them to be secured to the foundation with anchor bolts using a semi-automatic GMAW or "MIG" weld process. A Welding Inspector checks all welds to ensure that AISC standards are met.
The steel building factory also manufactures building components such as girts, purlins, doorjambs, door headers and eave struts. Roof and sidewall panels are manufactured from steel sheeting.
Gutters, header and doorjamb covers, J trim, eave trim and base trim are also manufactured in the steel building factory. A series of 10 roll formers make the various trim components: rake trim, corner trim, jamb trim, head trim, base trim, eave trim, rake angle and base angle, gutter straps, downspouts and gutters. Each conveyor starts with a coil of steel mounted on an uncoiler. The strip of sheeting is passed through a straightener. The conveyor then carries the sheeting through the roll former that forms the shape of that particular trim. The trim is then carefully packaged and boxed for shipment.
The building's hardware is monitored by the inventory control department. The only stocked parts are screws, bolts and some building accessories. Since each building is made to order, components are produced as they are needed to your exact specifications.
Out in the yard the staging department gathers all of the building components and carefully loads each item onto trucks that deliver your building to your door. Special attention is given to the Bill of Materials ensuring that every order is complete and accurate. The traffic office then handles the shipment of each building, scheduling trucks and coordinating buildings to arrive at designated times.
