Industrial Tray Fabrication — Custom Stainless & Aluminum Trays

In industrial manufacturing, stainless steel and aluminum trays are essential — from food drying racks and sterilization trays to electronics sorting bins and machine shop drip pans. Every industry has specific requirements for size, material, and structure. That is why custom-fabricated industrial trays outperform off-the-shelf alternatives in nearly every professional application.

At Laser Tuấn Thịnh (Thủ Dầu Một, Bình Dương, Vietnam), we specialize in custom industrial tray fabrication using a complete laser cutting, CNC bending, and TIG welding process — handling orders from a few dozen to thousands of units.

Types of Industrial Trays

Industrial trays are far more than a flat sheet with four bent sides. Depending on the application, each type has distinct design and engineering requirements:

• Drying trays: Perforated or mesh bottoms for maximum airflow. Used in food dehydration (noodles, fruit, herbs), pharmaceutical drying, and post-wash component drying.
• Steaming trays: Fine perforations, safety-rolled edges, high-temperature resistance. Used in food processing and medical instrument sterilization.
• Parts trays: Internal dividers, solid or rubber-lined bottoms to prevent scratching. Used for sorting, storing, and transporting electronic components, fasteners, and machined parts.
• Tool trays: Custom cutouts matching tool profiles, holding each piece in a fixed position. Used on assembly lines and in cleanroom environments.
• Drip trays: Solid bottoms, tall sides, optional drain spouts or channels. Placed under CNC machines, hydraulic presses, and other oil-producing equipment.
• Baking trays: Smooth or non-stick coated surfaces, safety-rolled edges. Used in commercial ovens and industrial bakeries.
• Display trays: Polished or powder-coated finish, lightweight construction. Used in retail, supermarkets, and showrooms.
• Cleanroom trays: 316 stainless with mirror polish, no sharp edges, easy to sanitize. Used in semiconductor fabrication and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Choosing the Right Material

Material selection directly impacts service life, cost, and application suitability. Here are the four most common options:

Stainless Steel 304 — The Versatile Standard

304 stainless (SUS 304) is the most widely used material for industrial trays. It provides strong corrosion resistance in normal environments, withstands temperatures up to approximately 800°C, and is food-grade safe. Suitable for drying trays, steaming trays, parts trays, tool trays — the majority of general industrial applications.

Strengths: Reasonable cost, easy to fabricate, attractive finish, easy to clean.

Stainless Steel 316 — Chemical and Pharmaceutical Grade

316 stainless contains added molybdenum, providing superior corrosion resistance in acidic, saline, and chemical environments. It is mandatory for pharmaceutical production, seafood processing, chemical laboratories, and any application involving chlorine or sterilization solutions.

Strengths: Exceptional corrosion resistance, higher temperature tolerance, safe for harsh environments. Trade-off: Approximately 30-40% more expensive than 304.

Aluminum 5052 — Lightweight and Corrosion-Resistant

5052 is an aluminum-magnesium alloy weighing roughly one-third as much as stainless steel, with natural oxidation resistance. Ideal for trays that are moved frequently, stacked in tall columns on carts, or used in electronics (non-magnetic). Not recommended for direct contact with acidic foods.

Strengths: Light weight, moderate cost, excellent thermal conductivity.

Aluminum 6061 — Structural and Hard-Anodizable

6061 is stronger and harder than 5052 and can be heat-treated or hard-anodized for increased surface hardness. Well suited for heavy-duty trays, trays with reinforcing ribs, and fixture trays used in production tooling.

Strengths: High mechanical strength, excellent anodizing results.

Solid Bottom vs. Perforated Bottom

• Solid bottom: Drip trays, small-parts containment, baking trays, display trays.
• Perforated bottom: Drying trays (airflow), steaming trays (steam passage), wash trays (fast drainage).
• Round holes (most common): Easy to laser cut, uniform distribution, suitable for drying and steaming.
• Oblong holes: Faster drainage, typically used for parts wash baskets.
• Custom patterns: Laser-cut to drawing — decorative patterns, logos for display trays, or application-specific layouts.

Our Fabrication Process

Our tray manufacturing follows five core steps, all completed in-house at our Bình Dương facility:

Step 1: Laser Cut the Flat Blank

From a technical drawing (or a physical sample), we develop the flat blank — a single flat sheet that includes the tray bottom and all four sides, calculated with the correct bend allowance (K-factor). The laser cuts the blank from raw stainless or aluminum sheet stock, simultaneously cutting any drain holes, ventilation openings, and corner relief slots.

Laser advantage: Clean cut edges, ±0.1mm accuracy, no deburring needed for thin material (under 1.5mm), fast processing that reduces unit cost at volume.

Step 2: Punch Perforations (If Required)

For drying or steaming trays requiring hundreds of evenly spaced holes, we combine CNC punching to increase speed and reduce cost compared to laser cutting each hole individually. CNC punching is especially efficient when hole diameter is small (under 5mm) and hole density is high.

Step 3: CNC Bend the Sides

The flat blank is loaded into a CNC press brake, which folds all four sides up to the exact angle and dimension. CNC bending ensures precise bend angles, straight fold lines, and consistency across every unit in the batch.

For trays requiring hemmed edges or safety-rolled edges, we perform an additional fold to eliminate sharp edges — particularly critical for food-grade and medical trays.

Step 4: TIG Weld the Corners

All four corners are TIG welded (argon arc welded) for watertight sealing and structural integrity. TIG welding produces clean beads with minimal spatter and precise heat control — essential for preventing warping on thin sheet material.

• Food-grade and medical trays: Weld beads are ground flush, polished smooth, and passivated using citric or nitric acid solution to remove heat discoloration and restore the protective chromium oxide layer.
• General industrial trays: Weld beads ground clean, no mirror polish required.
• Economy trays: Tab-and-slot corner joints combined with spot welding, reducing weld time and cost.

Step 5: Surface Treatment

Depending on the application, trays receive the appropriate surface finish:

• Mirror polish: Display trays, cleanroom trays.
• Satin/brushed finish: Food trays, tool trays — attractive appearance that hides minor scratches.
• Powder coating: Aluminum trays, galvanized steel trays — adds color and scratch resistance.
• Anodizing: Aluminum 6061 trays — increases surface hardness and wear resistance.
• Passivation: Mandatory for stainless trays contacting food or pharmaceuticals.

Design Considerations

When ordering custom industrial trays, these factors directly affect functionality and cost:

Stackability

Trays used on production lines typically need to stack on carts or shelving. A nesting lip — a small step along the upper edge — keeps trays aligned and prevents sliding. A lip height of 3-5mm is usually sufficient.

Drainage and Ventilation

Drying trays need uniform perforation patterns for maximum airflow. The open area ratio typically ranges from 40-60% of bottom surface area. Steaming trays need smaller holes to prevent product from falling through. Wash trays benefit from oblong holes and a slight slope (1-2 degrees) for rapid water drainage.

Load Capacity

Trays holding heavy items (machined parts, die castings, molds) need reinforcing ribs on the underside. Ribs can be welded cross-bars or stamped directly into the bottom panel. A 400x600mm tray in 1.0mm stainless without ribs supports approximately 10-15 kg. Adding two cross-ribs increases capacity to 30-40 kg.

Handles and Lifting Lugs

Heavy trays or trays used in high-temperature environments need integrated handles. Three common approaches:

• Oval cutouts in the side wall: Simple, no added cost, suitable for lighter trays.
• Welded external handles: 8-10mm round stainless bar, welded at both ends — sturdy, used for heavy trays.
• Folding lugs: Fold up for carrying, fold down for stacking — saves storage space.

Laser-Engraved Identification

For facilities managing large tray inventories, we laser-engrave serial numbers, logos, or QR codes directly onto the tray wall. Laser engraving is permanent, will not peel or fade, and withstands chemical washing — ideal for production environments requiring traceability.

Common Sizes and Thicknesses

We fabricate trays to any custom dimension. Here are the most commonly requested ranges:

• Small parts trays: 200x300mm, 30mm sides, 0.8mm stainless
• Standard drying trays: 400x600mm, 25mm sides, 1.0mm stainless, perforated with 5mm round holes
• Large steaming trays: 500x700mm, 50mm sides, 1.2mm stainless, perforated with 3mm round holes
• Heavy-duty load trays: 400x600mm, 80mm sides, 1.5mm stainless, reinforcing ribs

Sizes exceeding 600x800mm are fully achievable — we simply calculate additional support ribs or increase material thickness accordingly.

Applications by Industry

Food Processing

Perforated 304 stainless drying trays are our highest-volume tray product. Facilities producing dried noodles, rice paper, dried fruit, and jerky across Bình Dương and neighboring provinces regularly order hundreds of identical trays sized to fit their drying carts. Requirements: flush-ground welds, passivation, no sharp edges.

Pharmaceutical and Medical

316 stainless sterilization trays with mirror polish and safety-rolled edges. Used to hold surgical instruments inside autoclave sterilizers (134°C, 2 bar pressure). Requirements: material mill certificates, mandatory passivation, full traceability.

Electronics and Semiconductor

Anodized black 5052 aluminum component sorting trays with insert dividers. Used on SMT assembly lines and in component warehouses. Requirements: ESD-safe properties, scratch-free surfaces to protect components, precise dimensions to fit automated storage racks.

Automotive and Mechanical

304 stainless parts wash baskets with mesh or perforated bottoms and sturdy handles. Used in ultrasonic cleaning machines and spray wash systems. Requirements: resistance to cleaning chemicals, heavy load capacity for castings and machined parts.

Restaurants and Commercial Kitchens

Gastronorm (GN) standard 304 stainless trays in international sizes (GN 1/1 = 530x325mm, GN 1/2 = 325x265mm). Baking trays, grease-catching trays, buffet display trays. Requirements: safety-rolled edges, easy-clean surfaces.

Pricing and Ordering

Custom industrial tray pricing depends on:

• Material: 316 stainless costs more than 304. Aluminum is generally less expensive than stainless at the same thickness.
• Size and thickness: Larger, thicker trays consume more raw material.
• Perforations: Increase processing time compared to solid bottoms.
• Surface treatment: Mirror polish, passivation, anodizing — each adds cost.
• Handles, ribs, rolled edges: Additional operations increase unit price.
• Quantity: Higher volumes significantly reduce per-unit cost through material optimization and single-setup processing.

To receive an accurate quote, please provide:

1. A drawing or physical sample (or a description with dimensions and material)
2. Required quantity
3. Special requirements (perforations, handles, surface finish)

Contact Laser Tuấn Thịnh

We fabricate custom stainless steel and aluminum industrial trays at our facility in Thủ Dầu Một, Bình Dương, Vietnam. From prototype samples of a few units to production runs of thousands — our complete laser cutting, CNC bending, and TIG welding process is handled entirely in-house, with nationwide delivery.

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