Solution — Mechanical engineering
Machines designed to a tolerance, not to a rendering.
Special purpose machines, fixtures, jigs, end effectors and grippers — modelled in 3D, validated by analysis and released as manufacturing drawings a shop can actually build from.
Approach
A good drawing is a contract with the machine shop.
We release fully dimensioned drawings with GD&T referenced to a datum scheme that matches how the part is actually located — not to convenient CAD origins. Tolerance stacks are calculated, not assumed, and the critical dimensions are called out with their measurement method.
Structural assemblies are checked in FEA for static deflection, fatigue life and modal response. For a high-speed gantry, the first natural frequency matters more than the yield margin, and we design to it.
Material selection, surface treatment, bearing life and fastener preload are documented in the design file. When a component fails in year three, there is a record of what it was designed to withstand.
Scope
What is included.
Delivered as a defined scope with acceptance criteria, not as a time-and-materials estimate that drifts.
- 01Special purpose machinesconcept to released drawings
- 02Fixture & jig designdatum scheme, clamping, poka-yoke
- 03End effectors & grippersvacuum, servo, magnetic, compliant
- 04Structural analysisstatic, fatigue, modal in ANSYS
- 05Tolerance stack analysisworst-case and statistical
- 06Design optimisationmass, stiffness, cost trade studies
- 07Prototype developmentrapid manufacture and iteration
- 08Manufacturing drawingsGD&T to ISO 1101 / ASME Y14.5
- 09Bill of materialssourcing, commonality, lead time
- 10Design for maintenanceaccess, spares, replacement time
Applications
Where this is used.
Special purpose machines
Purpose-built assembly, test, marking and handling machines where no standard product fits the process.
Tooling & fixtures
Welding, assembly, machining and inspection fixtures with repeatability validated by measurement.
End-of-arm tooling
Grippers designed around the part — mass-optimised, sensed, and rated for the robot's payload curve.
Finite element analysis
Deflection, fatigue and modal analysis with a written interpretation, not just a colour plot.
Prototype & pilot builds
Functional prototypes to de-risk a process before committing to production tooling.
Design for manufacture
Cost and manufacturability review of existing designs, with quantified savings.
Stack
Tools and platforms.
Related
Where this connects.
Very few problems are solved by one discipline. These are the capabilities most often combined with this one.
FAQ
Questions about mechanical engineering
Do you manufacture the machines you design, or only design them?
Both models are available. We can deliver a released design pack for your own supply chain to build, or take full responsibility for manufacture, assembly, testing and site installation through our fabrication partners under our inspection plans.
What CAD formats do you work in and deliver?
Native SolidWorks, CATIA V5, Inventor and Creo. Neutral delivery in STEP AP242 and Parasolid, with drawings as PDF and DXF. We match whatever your PLM system requires.
How long does a special purpose machine take?
A single-station SPM with a defined process typically runs 16 to 24 weeks from concept freeze to factory acceptance. Design and analysis is 6 to 9 weeks of that; the rest is procurement, manufacture, assembly and testing.
Can you improve an existing machine rather than replace it?
Frequently the better answer. We reverse engineer the current design, identify the constraint — stiffness, thermal drift, tooling repeatability, changeover time — and propose a targeted modification with a quantified expected gain.
Next step
Ready to scope your next automation programme?
Send us a drawing, a cycle-time target or a line layout. Our engineers respond with a technical assessment — not a brochure.