Manufacturing services at ShadeCo India cover everything made in our workshop before a structure reaches the site: the fabric membrane, the steel frame and the fittings that join them. This service is also called tensile structure fabrication, tensile membrane manufacturing or shade structure fabrication.
Our company, ShadeCo India Private Limited, started in 2010 and runs its office and workshop from Delhi. Our in-house fabricators work from the cutting patterns and shop drawings made by our own engineers. Because both teams sit in one company, the parts made in the workshop match the approved design. Our work follows an ISO 9001:2015 quality system.
A tensile structure cannot be put together from standard parts taken off a shelf. Each membrane is cut for one shape, and each frame is made for one site. This is why accuracy in the workshop matters as much as the design.
What We Manufacture in Our Workshop
Our workshop makes both the soft and the hard parts of a shade structure. Each item is made to the drawings of one project.
- Tensile Fabric Membranes: Roofs, canopies, shade sails, parking shades and facades in PVC-coated polyester, PTFE-coated fiberglass or PVC-coated mesh.
- Steel Frames: Columns, rafters, arches and trusses in MS or GI steel.
- Prefabricated Steel Buildings: Steel frames for sheds, warehouses and industrial buildings. See our prefabricated steel buildings.
- Pergolas and Hard Roofs: Covers for terraces, walkways and seating areas with polycarbonate or metal roofing sheets. See our pergolas.
- Tents: Aluminium hangar tents, pagoda tents and glamping tents for events, storage and hospitality.
Fabric Patterning and Membrane Making
A tensile membrane starts as flat panels. It becomes a curved surface only when the panels are joined and pulled tight. Patterning works out the exact flat shape of each panel. Our team prepares the cutting patterns in ForTen, MPanel and Rhino, based on the fabric shape approved at the design stage.
- Compensation: Panels are cut a little smaller than the final size, so the fabric reaches the right tension once it is stretched on site.
- Panel Cutting: Each panel is cut to its pattern on a CNC fabric cutter, or by hand where needed, with the seam lines marked.
- Seam Joining: PVC fabric panels are joined by HF welding or hot-air welding to form one membrane. HDPE shade net, shade sails and some edges are stitched.
- Edges and Corners: Edges, corners and fixing points are reinforced to take the pull of cables and corner plates.
Fabric weight is matched to the job, with PVC fabric between 650 and 1350 GSM chosen by product and span. Depending on the fabric grade, it blocks up to 98% of UV rays and performs from −30°C to +70°C. Fabric with a PVDF top coat comes with a warranty of up to 10 years.
Steel Frame Fabrication
Frame parts are made from the shop and fabrication drawings issued by our structural engineering team. Every part is cut, drilled and welded to the sizes shown, and then marked so the site team knows where it goes.
- Cutting and Drilling: Members are cut to length and drilled for bolts. Base plates and brackets are cut on CNC machines in our workshop. Read more about our CNC profile cutting service.
- Welding: Joints are welded as per the welding details on the drawings.
- Surface Finish: Powder coating, and primer with paint, are done in our workshop. Frames that need hot-dip galvanizing are sent to an outside galvanizing plant.
- Part Marking: Each part carries a mark that matches the GA drawing, which makes site assembly quicker.
With the right finish, the steel frame is built for a structural life of 25 to 30 years.
Why In-House Manufacturing Helps Your Project
When design, fabrication and installation stay with one company, fewer things are lost between teams.
01
One Team, One Set of Drawings
Engineers, fabricators and installers work in the same company, so questions are answered within our own team.
02
Membranes Cut for Your Shape
Every membrane is patterned for one structure. It is not adapted from a standard size.
03
ISO 9001:2015 Quality System
Materials, sizes and finish are checked as per our ISO 9001:2015 quality system.
04
Parts Ready for Site
Marked parts and clear packing help the installation team assemble the structure faster.
From Approved Drawings to Dispatch
Manufacturing follows the same order on every project.
- After the structural design is approved, the shop drawings and cutting patterns are issued to the workshop.
- Fabric, steel, cables and fittings are arranged as per the BOQ.
- The membrane is cut and joined, and the steel parts are fabricated and finished.
- Every part is checked against the drawings for size and finish.
- Each part is marked and packed for transport.
- The structure is dispatched to site and handed over to our installation team.
Materials Used in Our Workshop
For fabric structures, we work with PVC-coated polyester with a PVC or PVDF top coat, PTFE-coated fiberglass, ETFE foil, PVC-coated mesh fabric and HDPE shade net. For hard roofs, we use metal roofing sheets and polycarbonate sheets. You can read more about each one on our materials page.
Finished structures leave our Delhi workshop for projects across India and abroad, including Nepal.
Looking for a Manufacturer for Your Tensile Structure?
ShadeCo India can manufacture the fabric membrane and the steel frame for your tensile roof, canopy, parking shade or pergola. Kindly share the project location, approximate size, any drawings you have and the material you are considering. Our team will review the requirement and get back to you with the details.
faq
Frequently Asked Questions About Manufacturing Services
ShadeCo India manufacturing services cover the full workshop stage of a tensile structure: fabric patterning, membrane cutting and welding, and steel frame fabrication. Our team prepares the cutting patterns, cuts the fabric panels and joins them into one membrane. At the same time, columns, rafters and base plates are cut, drilled, welded and finished. Every part is then checked, marked and packed for site.
The ShadeCo India workshop is in Delhi, along with our office. Fabric membranes and steel frames for each project are made here by our in-house fabricators, working from drawings prepared by our own engineers. Finished structures are packed in Delhi and sent to projects across India and abroad, including Nepal.
Tensile fabric is cut from a cutting pattern made on computer. Our team develops the pattern in ForTen, MPanel or Rhino by splitting the approved curved fabric shape into flat panels. Each panel is made slightly smaller to allow for stretch, which is called compensation. The panels are then cut on a CNC fabric cutter and joined by HF or hot-air welding.
Compensation is the small reduction made to each fabric panel before it is cut. Coated fabric stretches when it is tensioned on the frame, and it stretches differently along the warp and the weft threads. If a panel were cut to its final size, the membrane would end up loose. Compensation values are set for each fabric and thread direction, so the membrane reaches its design shape and tension once installed. Test methods for these values are given in the European standard EN 17117-2.
Most tensile membranes are made from PVC-coated polyester with a PVC or PVDF top coat. PTFE-coated fiberglass is used for large permanent roofs, and PVC-coated mesh is used where air and some light should pass through. PVC fabric ranges from 650 to 1350 GSM, chosen by product and span. Depending on the grade, the fabric blocks up to 98% of UV rays, and PVDF-coated fabric carries a warranty of up to 10 years.
Both methods fuse the PVC coating of two fabric panels into one seam, while the polyester base fabric does not melt. HF (high-frequency) welding uses an electromagnetic field and pressure to heat the coating from inside. It gives even, controlled seams and handles small pieces and tight angles well. Hot-air welding uses hot air or a heated wedge with pressure rollers, which is faster for long, straight seams and large panels. HDPE shade net is stitched instead of welded.
Steel frames are protected by hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating, or primer with paint, chosen according to the site conditions. Powder coating and painting are done in our Delhi workshop. Frames that need galvanizing are sent to an outside plant, where the steel is dipped in molten zinc. Frames are made in MS or GI steel, and with the right finish they are built for a structural life of 25 to 30 years.
Quality is checked at each stage under our ISO 9001:2015 quality management system. Fabric, steel and fittings are checked against the specification when they arrive. Cut panels, welded seams and steel parts are then checked against the cutting patterns and shop drawings for size and finish. Only parts that pass these checks are marked and packed for dispatch.
