Structural Components for
New Access Cradle System

We were asked by a manufacturer to look at the design of the structural components of their design for a new machine. Their existing machines, designed in Germany during the 1960's, used fabricated steel as the primary structure.

Our design ideas comprised the reconfiguration of the main chassis to make it structurally more efficient, introducing cast aluminium structural components to form the main articulating connections, and designing the main boom arms in aluminium plate. Generally, the new design was much lighter than the existing and, although a more expensive primary structure, cheaper to build because cast components could be created with secondary functions 'built in' and so reducing fabrication costs.

Designers Barton Engineers