Design of Production Support Equipment

We work in cooperation with a wide range of companies operating, among others, in the marine industry and the heavy engine industry. The assignments are related to demanding production environments where large-scale and heavy components are handled as part of the manufacturing process. Safety, usability, and smooth production flow are key elements in the design work.

We have designed production support equipment and lifting attachments particularly to support the manufacturing of components for the engine and marine industries. Typical components have included cylinder heads, connecting rods, and propeller components. The design solutions have been targeted at different phases of the production process, such as machining, handling, transfer, and intermediate storage.

Starting point and goals:

• To design machining fixtures, lifting attachments, and handling solutions suitable for production use for heavy components in the engine and marine industries.
• To develop support equipment including, among other things, robotic grippers, turning and rotating devices, as well as transport, storage, and washing racks tailored to production environments.
• To produce a comprehensive design package that enables evaluation and implementation of the equipment in compliance with CE requirements.
• To enhance project execution by organizing external and internal communication, including regular project meetings and broader collaboration meetings to address design changes and feedback.
• To familiarize ourselves with operating environments, production machinery, and existing solutions at the customer’s facilities to ensure a thorough understanding of requirements, interfaces, and safety factors.

Results and benefits:

• We acted as an external design partner, helping the customer achieve faster implementation of solutions and shorter production lead times.
• We delivered mechanical design, strength calculations, safety engineering, and technical documentation related to the support equipment.
• The customer received 3D models, manufacturing drawings, risk assessments, strength calculation reports, and operation and maintenance instructions.
• The produced documentation enabled the customer to proceed smoothly with requests for quotations and product manufacturing.

In our design solutions, we simultaneously consider practical production requirements, structural durability, and CE marking regulations. Through clear project management, we efficiently combine multiple engineering disciplines and deliver a complete product package to the customer, from design images all the way to manufacturing. – Engineering Manager Pekka Saari, Comatec.