Battery Box Fabrication for External Defence Use
Universal Fabrications manufactured a battery box for external defence use, designed by our customer and prepared for manufacture by our in-house design team. With over 45 years’ experience manufacturing complex metal fabrications for security, policing and defence, we were able to turn the customer’s design into a part that was quick to sign off, strong where it counted and cost-efficient to produce.
The Challenge
A battery box mounted externally on defence equipment has to balance several constraints at once. It must fit a defined envelope, carry the weight of the cells it houses, withstand load, vibration and rough handling in the field, and carry a finish that protects it in harsh operating environments. Our client had specific concerns about overall size, weight capacity and weld strength. These factors can pull against each other, and changing one usually affects the others. The task was to manufacture the box in 3mm mild steel within the customer’s guidelines, without drifting from the original design intent.
Universal Fabrications’ Role
Our design team prepared the customer’s design for manufacture, reviewing how each feature would be cut, formed and welded while staying within the guidelines set. The 3mm mild steel parts were produced on our Amada punch/laser combi, which punches and laser-cuts on a single machine, reducing handling and secondary operations. The box was then formed, MIG and TIG welded at our 40,000 sq ft Nuneaton facility. We used MIG welding for the strong structural seams, TIG where precision and a clean finish were needed. This work was underpinned through our team’s ISO 9001, BS EN ISO 9606-1, and BS EN ISO 3834-2 welding quality standards and certifications. Finally, the boxes were powder coated in NATO green or desert tan, giving a tough, durable finish suited to temperate or desert operation.
Why It Mattered
Addressing the client’s concerns at the design-for-manufacture stage meant sign-off was achieved quickly, with production starting without drawn-out revision cycles. Choosing the right process kept the cost per unit down without compromising the design. The customer kept full ownership of their design, and gained a manufacturing partner able to produce it efficiently and deliver it ready for service. It’s the same approach we bring to our defence vehicle and battery enclosure work: getting the engineering right early so production runs smoothly.
Have a defence enclosure or battery box project? Call 02476 370272 or email email@universalfabrications.com.
Speak to a Manufacturing Specialist today. Call 02476 370 272 or send us an email.
