45-Ton Welded & Machined Structural Base
A tier-1 global manufacturer of heavy mining machinery contracted Openex to manufacture the primary load-bearing base frames for a new line of extraction equipment. Operating in incredibly harsh, high-vibration environments, the base frame required absolute structural integrity and highly precise, planar-milled mounting surfaces for the engine and drivetrain components.
Project Specifications
The Manufacturing Process
1 Thick Plate Bevelling & Assembly
Due to the intense vibration requirements, complete joint penetration (CJP) was necessary. Heavy 50mm and 80mm plates were plasma cut and heavily bevelled. Our fit-up teams constructed the massive grid framing while bracing it strictly to control distortion.
2 Multi-Pass Heavy Welding & NDT
The base utilized FCAW and SAW multi-pass welding techniques under strict pre-heating conditions. Welds were subjected to 100% Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) and targeted Ultrasonic Testing (UT) by our Level II certified technicians.
3 Thermal Stress Relief
Machining an incredibly tight tolerance over 12 meters is impossible without first removing internal weld tension. The 45-ton assembly was loaded into our massive 15x5x5 meter in-house heat treatment furnace to undergo an extended stress relief cycle.
4 Large Gantry Planer Milling
Post thermal-relief, the frame was hoisted onto our heavy-duty CNC Gantry Milling center. All engine block pads, drive alignments, and bearing mounts were faced simultaneously in a single setup to ensure absolute co-planar perfection.
Project Results
By consolidating heavy cutting, specialized AWS structural welding, PWHT, and 250-ton machining capacities strictly within our own facility walls, Openex delivered the first article production runs on time and flawlessly within tolerance, circumventing the delays and risks usually associated with shipping parts to third-party machinists and heat treaters.