Background

This project was both our first for this particular customer, but also the first project Nautic Engineering had undertaken for the rail sector, a sector in which we are now keen to develop.

Despite these two firsts, in many ways this was a classic Nautic Engineering project, where quality and safety were the primary focus of the customer, due to main line running making product safety entirely critical.

The opportunity to work with this customer came about as they had become unhappy with the quality and price from their previous supplier, and so were now looking to buy direct from a fabricator.

The Project

Nautic Engineering undertook the fabrication of both the outer and inner blades of a diesel locomotive mini snowplough.

Drawings for this project dated back to 1958 and as a first step were first transferred from paper to CAD. The customer had requested various modifications to the original British Rail design to allow a better fit to their locomotive, and so Nautic Engineering staff also made a site visit to the depot to survey their locomotive snowplough already in use.

DXFs were produced of each individual flat profile, and then profiles from S275JR steel were produced by a sub-contractor’s laser cutters.

On return of the flat profiles, fold lines were then marked out and then formed inhouse using our press brake, and the adjustment screw and jack nut were produced from solid bar stock by our own machine shop.

Each assembly was then tacked together, checked and then welded, with final welding overseen by Nautic Engineering’s in house welding engineer.

Other Projects

If you would like learn about our fabrication capabilities at Nautic Engineering Ltd, or discuss any specific future fabrication projects you think we might be able to assist you with, please get in touch.