Mobile Plant Design
Structural and mechanical design for mobile industrial plant
Element Mechanical Design engineers the structural and mechanical components of mobile plant — mine site vehicles, transport trailers, vehicle-mounted equipment, relocatable processing skids and underground mobile machinery. We design for the loads that matter on mobile plant: dynamic, impact, transport and tipping stability.
Mobile plant has loads that fixed plant never sees
A structure that performs perfectly when it is bolted to a concrete pad will fail when it moves. Road transport subjects equipment to sustained vibration and impact loads that dwarf normal operating conditions. Mine site terrain generates dynamic forces that simple static analysis misses entirely. Tipping stability on a slope is a failure mode that does not exist for fixed plant at all.
We design mobile plant with those loads in the analysis from the start. Dynamic load factors, transport tie-down loads, tipping stability calculations and ADR compliance for road-registered trailers are part of how we scope a mobile plant project — not afterthoughts once the structure is already drawn.
Mobile plant lives a hard life. It gets driven over rough ground, loaded onto trucks, dropped off cranes and operated on slopes. If your structural analysis only covers the static operating condition, you’ve analysed maybe a third of what the structure actually experiences.
Daniel Berti, Mechanical Engineering Team Leader
What we design for mobile plant
Mine site vehicles and attachments
We design structural components and attachments for mine site vehicles — service bodies, tray modifications, crane pedestals, auxiliary equipment mounts and roll-over protection structures. All designs account for the dynamic loading experienced on unsealed mine roads and the operational loads imposed by the equipment being carried.
Transport trailers and dollies
We design heavy haulage trailers, low-loaders, dolly systems and over-dimensional transport frames. Structural analysis covers road transport dynamic loads, tie-down point loads, tipping stability during loading and unloading and compliance with ADR requirements for road-registered trailers.
Relocatable processing skids
We design processing skids that need to be transported between sites — crushing, screening, pumping, water treatment and power generation skids. Structural design accounts for the full lifecycle of loads: road transport, crane lifts, on-site operation and repeated relocation. Lifting lugs and tie-down points are sized and positioned as part of the design, not added later.
Underground mobile equipment
We design structural and mechanical components for underground mobile equipment — bolters, loaders, utility vehicles and specialised underground plant. Geometry is constrained by tunnel profiles and turning radii. Structural analysis covers the dynamic and impact loads specific to underground mining operations, including interaction with rock faces and loading by underground equipment.
Agricultural and construction equipment
We design structural and mechanical components for agricultural machinery, harvesting equipment, seeding and tillage implements and construction plant. Mobile equipment in these industries shares many of the structural challenges of mining — dynamic loading, field terrain, transport compliance and wear-resistant material selection — and we apply the same rigour to the analysis.
Vehicle-mounted equipment
We design mounts, frames and structural interfaces for equipment installed on light vehicles, trucks and heavy plant — service cranes, elevated work platforms, pumping units, compressors and specialised tools. Design accounts for the vehicle chassis interface, dynamic road loads, operational loading and relevant ADR requirements for road-registered vehicles.
Services we apply to mobile plant design
Mobile plant projects draw on the full range of our engineering services. Depending on the scope of your project, we apply one or more of the following.
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Every mobile plant project starts with a 3D model. We build complete assembly models including structural frames, equipment interfaces, access provisions and connection details. The CAD model drives fabrication drawings, structural analysis and certification documentation — and lets us check clearances and access in the model before anything is built.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
We run structural FEA on mobile plant frames, trailer structures, vehicle mounts and equipment skids. For mobile plant, FEA covers static operating loads, dynamic transport loads, tipping and crane lift scenarios. Modal analysis identifies natural frequencies that could interact with vehicle or equipment vibration sources and cause fatigue failure in service.
Discrete Element Modelling (DEM)
For mobile plant that handles bulk material — relocatable crushing and screening plant, mobile hoppers and feed systems — we validate flow behaviour and wear performance with DEM simulation before fabrication. Particle impact forces from DEM feed directly into the structural FEA, giving accurate load inputs for the structure rather than conservative blanket factors.
Certification
Mobile plant that operates on WA mine sites or public roads requires design registration with DMIRS or WorkSafe WA, and road-registered trailers require engineering certification for modifications. We produce the complete certification package and manage the submission through to approval, including any queries from the design verifier.
Fabrication Design
Once the structural design is complete, we produce the full fabrication drawing package — weldment models, detail drawings, cut lists and DXF outputs for laser and plate cutting. Mobile plant fabrication drawings carry the same workshop-ready standard as our fixed plant work: weld symbols, fit-up dimensions, material callouts and revision control throughout.
Mobile plant design capabilities
| Equipment types | Mine site vehicles, transport trailers, relocatable skids, underground mobile plant, vehicle-mounted equipment, agricultural and construction machinery |
| Load cases | Static operating, dynamic transport, crane lift, tipping stability, fatigue under cyclic loading |
| Structural standards | AS 4100 (structural steel), AS/NZS 1170 (structural loading), ADR (Australian Design Rules for road vehicles), DMIRS and WorkSafe WA requirements |
| Analysis | Static and dynamic FEA, modal analysis, tipping stability, DEM bulk flow simulation |
| Deliverables | 3D CAD model, fabrication drawings, cut lists, DXF outputs, structural calculations, FEA report, certification package |
| Integrated with | Fabrication Design — drawings and cut lists production-ready for the workshop |
How a mobile plant design engagement works
- Briefing — We review the equipment type, operating environment, transport constraints, applicable standards and certification requirements. We identify the load cases — operating, transport, lift and tipping — that the analysis needs to cover.
- Concept design — We build the initial 3D geometry and confirm the structural arrangement, equipment interfaces, access provisions and lifting and tie-down point locations before detailed design begins.
- Analysis — We run structural FEA across all relevant load cases, including dynamic transport factors and tipping stability. Modal analysis runs alongside structural analysis for equipment with significant vibration sources.
- Detailed design — We complete the 3D model, detail all connections, lifting lugs and tie-down points, and prepare the full fabrication drawing package with weld symbols, dimensions and material callouts.
- Certification — Where required, we assemble and submit the certification package to DMIRS, WorkSafe WA or the relevant road authority. We manage the submission through to approval.
- Fabrication support — We issue DXF files and cut lists to the workshop and remain available to answer fabrication queries during construction.
Frequently asked questions — mobile plant design
About the service
Mobile plant design covers the structural and mechanical engineering of equipment that moves — mine site vehicles and attachments, transport trailers, relocatable processing skids, underground mobile machinery and vehicle-mounted equipment. Unlike fixed plant, mobile plant experiences dynamic loads. Loads lik transport, terrain and operational movement that must be explicitly included in the structural analysis. We scope the load cases for mobile plant from the start rather than applying fixed plant methodology to equipment that moves.
Mining is our primary market for mobile plant — mine site vehicles, underground equipment, relocatable processing plant and heavy haulage trailers for WA mining operations. We also design mobile plant for agriculture (harvesting equipment, implements and field machinery), construction (plant attachments and specialised construction equipment) and general industrial applications. The structural engineering discipline is consistent across industries; the load cases, regulatory requirements and operating environments differ.
Mobile plant design covers equipment with a mechanical function — vehicles, trailers, processing skids and machinery that moves under its own power or is transported between sites. Mobile structure design covers temporary or relocatable structures — site offices, accommodation modules, portable shelters and modular structures that are transported and installed as buildings rather than operated as machinery. If your project is a machine or a processing system that happens to be relocatable, it is mobile plant. If it is a structure people occupy or shelter inside, it is a mobile structure. See our Mobile Structure Design page if the latter applies.
Analysis and certification questions
Yes. Mobile plant that operates on WA mine sites is subject to DMIRS requirements under the Mines Safety and Inspection Act. Classified mobile plant — including certain cranes, hoists and transport equipment above specified parameters — requires design registration before operation. Road-registered trailers and vehicle modifications require engineering certification under ADR and relevant state road authority requirements. We identify the applicable regulatory requirements at briefing and manage the submission process. See our Certification page.
We apply dynamic load factors to the structural analysis based on the operating environment — road transport, mine site terrain, underground conditions or agricultural field operation. For critical structures or equipment with known vibration sources, we run modal FEA to identify natural frequencies and check them against operating speed ranges. Where fatigue is a concern — cyclic loading over a long service life — we run fatigue analysis using S-N curve data for the specified material and weld classification. See our Finite Element Analysis (FEA) page.
Yes. We produce the engineering documentation required for heavy vehicle modifications and trailer designs under ADR and relevant state road authority requirements, including mass and dimension compliance, structural adequacy and tie-down point certification. For modifications to registered vehicles, we produce the engineering sign-off documentation required by the relevant authority. We recommend confirming the specific certification path with your state road authority before briefing, as requirements vary by vehicle type and modification scope.
Project and process questions
Yes. We handle the full scope — 3D CAD model, structural analysis across all operating and transport load cases, DEM simulation for bulk material handling components, fabrication drawings and cut lists, and the certification submission. The entire project stays within one team, so the fabrication drawings, analysis and certification documentation are always consistent with each other.
Yes. We regularly design modifications to existing mobile plant — adding capacity, changing equipment, upgrading structures or correcting a structural problem identified in service. We work from existing drawings, OEM documentation or physical measurements. Where the modification affects a registered design, we manage the amended registration submission as part of the engagement.
A single vehicle attachment or trailer modification with a straightforward certification path takes one to three weeks. A full relocatable processing skid with structural analysis, DEM simulation, fabrication drawings and certification takes six to twelve weeks depending on complexity and the regulatory submission timeline. We scope the timeline at briefing, including an honest assessment of how long the certification authority is likely to take.
Need your mobile plant designed?
Send us your equipment specifications, operating environment and certification requirements. We will come back with a scope and a quote — usually within one business day.