Applications
Mechanical design applications across industrial, mining and resources projects in Western Australia.
Our mechanical design applications span the full range of industrial engineering work. From pressure vessels and fabricated structures through to fixed plant, mobile equipment and wind load analysis in cyclonic regions we can design all that and more. Every application draws on the same five core services: CAD, FEA, DEM, CFD and certification. The difference lies in how we combine those services and what the deliverable looks like for a specific type of project.
These are our mechanical design applications:
Fabrication Design
Pressure vessels · Transport skids · Bunded pallets · Weldment models · Fabrication drawings
Fabrication design is the discipline that sits between structural engineering and the workshop. We produce weldment models, fabrication drawings, cut lists and connection details for industrial structures. Including pressure vessels, transport skids, bunded pallets, fluid handling assemblies and engineered steel frames and more.
We check weld access in the 3D model before we issue drawings. We generate cut lists and DXF outputs directly from the model so they’re ready for the saw and the plate cutter without manual re-entry. Where the fabricated item requires design registration, we produce the certification documentation from the same model as the fabrication drawings.
Fixed Plant Design
Conveyor structures · Process equipment · Pipe racks · Access platforms · Module frames
Fixed plant design covers permanently installed industrial structures — the conveyor gantries, equipment support frames, process skids, pipe racks, hoppers and access platforms that form the backbone of a mine site or process facility. These structures are loaded by equipment weight, bulk material, wind and seismic actions, and must be designed and certified to the applicable Australian Standards.
We engineer fixed plant structures from first principles. More specifically, CAD modelling, structural analysis to AS 4100, FEA for complex geometry, and design registration with WorkSafe WA or DMIRS where required. And, of course, for sites in WA cyclonic regions, wind load analysis to AS/NZS 1170.2 is included in the structural engagement.
Mobile Plant Design
Mine site vehicles · Transport trailers · Relocatable skids · Underground mobile equipment
Mobile plant design covers equipment that moves. This includes mine site vehicles, haul trucks, transport trailers, relocatable processing skids and underground mobile machinery for example. The critical difference from fixed plant is load case: mobile plant must be designed for dynamic loads during transit, tipping and terrain articulation, not just static operational loads.
We design and analyse mobile plant frames, chassis and mounting structures from first principles. Structural analysis accounts for the governing transport and operational load combinations, and FEA is used for complex joint geometry and fatigue-critical locations. For relocatable equipment deployed on cyclonic region mine sites, wind loading is assessed for both the operational and parked conditions.
Structural Design
Pipe bridges · Module frames · Equipment supports · Industrial steelwork · Structural verification
Structural design is the underlying discipline across most of our application work. We design and verify pipe bridges, module frames, equipment support structures, pipeline infrastructure and industrial steelwork. Specifically, the structural engineering that holds plant and equipment in place and keeps it there under the loads it will actually see.
We also offer structural verification and checking as a standalone service. We review existing designs, checking calculations and producing independent sign-off for structures that need a second set of engineering eyes, for example. Failure investigation is included within scope for structures that have not performed as designed.
Pressure Vessel Design
Static vessels · Mobile vessels · Pipelines · Bunded transport containers · Design registration
Pressure vessels, pipelines and transport containers are regulated equipment in WA and require design registration before fabrication begins. Consequently, we design static and mobile pressure vessels to AS 1210, storage tanks to AS 1692, and process piping to AS 4041. And we manage the full design registration submission to WorkSafe WA or DMIRS as part of the same engagement.
Design scope covers shell and head thickness, nozzle reinforcement, saddle and support analysis, weld joint efficiency and lifting attachment design. For mobile vessels and bunded transport containers, transport load cases are included. Fabrication drawings and the certification package come from the same model. So there’s no separate redraw, no inconsistency between what was analysed and what was registered.
Cyclonic Wind Loading
AS/NZS 1170.2 · Wind Regions C and D · Pipelines · Antenna structures · Fixed and mobile plant
In WA cyclonic wind regions, wind is frequently the governing structural load. Comparatively, this exceeds live load, seismic and thermal loads combined. We calculate design wind pressures and forces to AS/NZS 1170.2 for pipelines, antenna structures, fixed plant, mobile plant and industrial steelwork on mine sites and process facilities in Regions C and D.
Where code pressure coefficients are not defined for the structure geometry, or where proximity effects and terrain make the code approach excessively conservative, we use CFD wind analysis to replace generalised coefficients with accurate, geometry-specific pressure distributions. Furthermore, wind load calculations feed directly into the structural analysis and certification package.
Not sure which application fits your project?
Send us a brief description of your project and we will point you to the right application and services. We respond within one business day.