Design Fabrication Case Studies

We can offer our design services for a range of requirements; we have produced designs and drawings for:

Staircases
Balconies
Gates
Handrails
Metal cabinets and enclosures
and much much more!

As well as these types of work, we have been involved in some larger design projects – here are details of some of them:

Fowlmead Country Park

We were approached to manufacture a set of gates for the new Country Park being developed on the site of the old Betteshanger Colliery by SEEDA (South East England Development Agency); this project being almost on our doorstep, we were keen to be involved! Although a design concept for the gates had already been produced, we had to work with the designers to develop this concept, and had to come up with solutions for how we could actually produce the parts and how they would be assembled. We then developed the original design concept into a fully detailed set of drawings which we were able to manufacture from.

The gates were manufactured and installed by us in time for the grand opening of the park (by David Bellamy OBE!) in May 2007, and take pride of place at its entrance!

Greencrop Irrigation

Bunded Fuel Bowser

An existing customer of ours producing irrigation equipment for the agricultural industry, were receiving more and more enquiries from their customers who wanted to be able to transport fuel to their equipment in the field, rather than have to bring the equipment back to the depot for refuelling. Although other companies offered road going fuel bowsers, Greencrop decided that this was an area where they could expand their business as if they were able to offer their own model, it would complement their product range ideally. They therefore asked us to come up with a design for them which would not only be functional and affordable, but would also satisfy the legal requirements for such a product and preferably look the part as well!

After conducting our own research (such as visiting agricultural shows and much web surfing etc!) and by working with our customer, we were able to see what was already available on the marketplace and to find out exactly what was required for compliance with the ADR “Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations”. As our area of expertise is in the actual manufacture of steel fabrications such as this, we were able to look at the design with a view to the most cost effective solution by way of the most efficient use of material and the most practical method of construction. Also, our 3D Cad software also enabled us to see exactly how the design would look, and allowed us to produce a “virtual” model of it. We consequently developed a solution we felt would tick all the right boxes for our customer and also satisfy all the necessary requirements for the legal regulations.

When we showed Greencrop our idea, they were not only pleased with the way it looked and the design features, but were also very happy with the way we had approached it from a cost and manufacturing point of view. Before we could begin manufacturing the product for sale, we first had to achieve ADR accreditation; we therefore produced a prototype of the fuel bowser which was submitted for stringent testing to ensure it satisfied the legal requirements. This testing process involved the tank being dropped from a height of 2 metres, being pressure tested with air and being hydraulically pressure tested to high levels, whilst maintaining its structural integrity. It passed all tests with flying colours and Greencrop were then able to launch the newest product in their range! We have now been producing the Bunded Fuel Bowser since the middle of 2008, and it has proved to be a great success.

Acoustic canopy

We have produced an acoustic canopy for Greencrop’s irrigation pumps for a number of years; this design, although effective, was derived from a few rough sketches produced some time ago and was beginning to look a little dated. As Greencrop were about to switch to a new engine which would have required some revision to the existing canopy and following the success of the Bunded Bowser project, they asked us to come up with a new design solution for this product which would not only look more modern, but would be more practical and ideally have better sound deadening properties.

We decided to redesign a completely new canopy and start with a blank sheet of paper; again, we researched what was already available on the marketplace and looked at it from the point of view of the person buying the equipment – what would be their ideal requirements and how could we satisfy these? We also looked at it as before with a view to what most cost effective in terms of production and material usage. We came up with a design based around a folded steel frame which was considerably larger than the previous model and was therefore able to house the entire engine and pump. Despite this increased size, the amount of material used only increased very slightly due to the new design; this was offset by the new canopy being easier to manufacture so we could keep the costs to the customer the same.

The advantages to the end user were also obvious; anyone wishing to service the engine would have unimpeded access to the whole engine and pump assembly – something not offered by similar models in the marketplace and therefore giving Greencrop a Unique Selling Point. There is also areas for storage inside the cabinet (for tools, hoses etc) as well as the canopy looking much more aesthetically pleasing and attractive to prospective customers.

Greencrop were pleased with the new design and asked us to produce a prototype so they could test it with a fitted engine and pump to ensure there was enough airflow through the cabinet and that the noise levels were sufficiently low. We produced a 1 off which was assembled, fitted and tested; the advantage of the acoustic properties of the new design were obvious - despite using a thinner version of the insulating material used on the previous version (35mm thick instead of 50mm), the new canopy is much more effective at deadening the sound of the engine with the result that the unit runs much quieter than before.

Greencrop were delighted with the new design, both in appearance and performance. The new version is due to appear in agricultural shows this autumn and we are due to start producing them later this year!