Project Overview
A defence and nuclear sector client needed a series of heavy steel frames for a specialist testing system. Each frame weighs about 5 tonnes, measures 4.5 metres across, and must withstand test loads of 23 tonnes.The critical challenge: every measurement point had to be accurate to within 0.3mm, about the thickness of three sheets of paper.
These aren't off-the-shelf parts. Each frame is custom-built for this specific project, where precision at every stage was critical.
The Challenge
Building steel frames at this size creates real challenges.
First: steel shrinks. When you weld heavy steel, the metal heats up and cools down, causing it to shrink slightly.
Normally, you'd measure the finished frame and fix any gaps. With tolerances this tight, shrinkage would compromise the end result, and trying to correct it afterwards could damage the frame. The answer was to predict there the shrinkage would happen and ???????????. That's where precision measurement technology became essential.
Second: access and safety. The frame needed to be welded from the top, the sides, and underneath. To do this, the 5-tonne frame needs to be moved and rotated carefully, without risking stress or measurement errors every time you reposition it.
Third: Parts of the frame needed to be precision machined. Any errors from this work would be magnified during that process. So everything had to be perfect, and every frame in the series had to be identical.
Scope of Work
- Planned how each frame would be built and how it would hold its shape during the machining and assembly process
- Fabricated the steel structures with specially trained, certified welders
- Precision-machined individual steel blocks using 5-axis machining equipment (a specialised cutting process that shapes metal from multiple angles to extreme accuracy)
- Welded the machined blocks onto the frame with carefully planned sequences to minimise distortion and shrinkage
- Built a custom rotation system so the frames could be flipped and repositioned safely.
- Used FARO laser tracking technology to continuously measure the frames in real-time during fabrication. Tracking precise 3D points across the entire structure and catching shrinkage as it happened, allowing immediate adjustments before errors accumulated ?????
- Created fixtures (holding jigs) to ensure every frame in the series was built to exactly the same standard
- Tested all welds thoroughly to check for any tiny cracks
- Final measurement check against specifications.
Scale & Delivery
Each frame weighs about 5 tonnes and measures 4.5 metres square. Completed in January 2025, on time and to specification. NEED TO MENTION HOW IT WAS DELIVERED TO CLIENT
The Outcome
All frames were delivered accurately and ready to go straight into the next manufacturing stage.
The custom rotation system kept the team safe and made the job more efficient.
Most importantly, FARO laser tracking was the key. By continuously measuring precise points in 3D during fabrication, Armadillo caught shrinkage as it happened and adjusted immediately, eliminating the need for rework, avoiding delays, and protecting the frame's structural integrity.
This real-time measurement approach transformed precision work, solving problems as they emerged rather than discovering them too late.
The client came back asking for more work.
Whatever the challenge, we'll find a way to build it. Tell us about your project.
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