Sharp-Edged 316L SHS Tubes for the Žarku Kaiću Memorial Sculpture
The Žarku Kaiću sculpture is a memorial dedicated to a national TV videographer who lost his life during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991. Located near Zagreb, the monument takes the form of a large square architectural structure designed to resemble a camera, a symbol chosen for its meaning against the criminal act it commemorates. The steel structure’s purpose is entirely aesthetic: the square hollow sections forming the monument are permanently exposed and on public display, making surface finish quality a primary specification requirement. Montanstahl supplied 4 tubular bars in special lengths from 5,386 mm to 12,000 mm in stainless steel 1.4404 (316L), totalling 7.5 tonnes, produced by 3D laser welding and finished by sandblasting and pickling to the required surface aesthetic.
Why Sharp-Edged SHS: the Geometry of a Camera Frame
The sculptural form of the memorial is a large square frame at architectural scale, and the reading of that form as a camera depends on the corners of the hollow sections being precisely 90 degrees, crisp, and consistent from every viewing angle. A standard hot-finished square hollow section has rounded corners: the corner radius is a by-product of the forming process and cannot be eliminated without post-process machining. A laser welded SHS is built by joining flat plate faces at right angles, producing a true sharp corner at each edge. For a public monument where the geometric clarity of the section is the design intent, the sharp-edged laser welded SHS is not a preference but a requirement. The 400 x 400 x 15 mm cross-section was produced with narrow tolerances throughout and verified against the agreed quality parameters with the customer before the surface finishing stage.
3D Laser Welding, Sandblasting, and Pickling for a High-Aesthetic Public Installation
Montanstahl produced the four SHS bars using 3D laser welding, a process that delivers the full-penetration weld quality and dimensional precision required for a structurally sound and aesthetically refined hollow section at this scale. Bars were supplied in special lengths from 5,386 mm to 12,000 mm with a length tolerance of -0/+50 mm. After welding, the quality parameters including the critical surface finish requirements were agreed jointly with the customer, and sandblasting and pickling treatments were carried out in-house to achieve the final aesthetic finish. Sandblasting removes surface contamination and creates a uniform matte texture across all faces, while pickling restores the passive layer and eliminates any heat tint from the weld zone, leaving the stainless steel surface in the corrosion-resistant condition appropriate for permanent outdoor installation.
Application Context
This project sits within Montanstahl’s Art & Architecture segment, where laser welded special hollow sections in stainless steel are specified for public sculptures, monumental installations, and architecturally exposed structural elements where the geometry of the section is part of the design intent. Sharp-edged SHS in large dimensions is a profile class that requires 3D laser welding technology to achieve the corner geometry and weld quality that public art and architectural applications demand. Montanstahl supplies laser welded stainless steel hollow sections for art and architecture projects worldwide, in custom dimensions and lengths with surface finishing to the aesthetic standard of the installation.