This was a rapid turn prototype machining project. The part went from drawings to finished product in a matter of a few days. Rapid turn machine work is something we are pushing with the addition of a ProtoTrak 3 axis bed mill.
These are quite possibly some of the coolest parts to ever see dirt. These massive chunks of aluminum are a redesign of the old Mercedes Unimog 404 portal box. The stock Unimog box is made from cast iron and are very susceptible to breaking. While they are strong, they were never designed to be used in hard core rock crawling applications where the vehicles see speeds of 100mph, jumps, rocks, and all the punishment of rock crawling.
Knowing what breaks and where is part of the battle, the next step was to design and manufacture a portal box that was lighter and stronger than anything else on the market. These prototype boxes are machined from 7075 T-6 aluminum. They feature additional material over the stock boxes in what we feel are the necessary areas. They are lighter, stronger, and have the bling factor unlike anything ever created for Unimog axles.
This is another part of the solar pressure vessel we worked on. These flanges were TIG welded with ER70S2 filler material. Multiple passes were done to ensure proper seal and penetration. Like the pressure vessel, these flanges were welded on a rotary table so we can run a continuous weld ensuring proper heat and a quality finished product.
This was a scale prototype project for San Diego State University Engineering Department. The vessel will be used to house gasses which will react to sunlight and build up pressure and heat. The pressure and heat will be vented and used to spin a small turbine which will generate power. This is a very dumbed down explanation, but the concept is there. If it works a much large pressure vessel will be built. This particular one features series 150 flanges, a 3/8″ pipe section, and a cast dome.
For precautionary measures we take the time to lay a root pass with a TIG to ensure proper sealing. The vessel is then placed on large welding positioner where it was welded with with AWS A5.20 / ASME SFA5.20 E71T-1 welding wire with our new XMT 350 CC/CV and 12VS Extreme suitcase. This setup is perfect to lay down a nice fat single pass weld.
This was a structural steel project requiring AWS D1.1-06 3G/4G welding certifications. This structural steel platform was constructed with 4×4 .250 steel and welded with our Miller XMT 350 CC/CV welder and a Miller 12vs Extreme suitcase pushing E71T-1 structural wire.
The platform was part of a waste water treatment facility remodel done to meet new EPA requirements. The platform will hold several pump skids and two 1500 gallon water tanks.
This is probably one of the coolest projects we have done to date. It was truly an all encompassing prototype. We machined aluminum, steel, plastic, did sheet metal work, spent countless hours behind a welding hood, and got to test the capabilities of our shop. The end result is four prototype electrical testing stations that will house cutting edge technology before it is shipped off to General Motors where it will be used to diagnose wiring harnesses in an effort to improve the quality of GM’s cars and trucks.
It seems this exhaust modification is pretty popular among Corvette owners and for a good reason. Its relatively inexpensive, and at the end of the day its the best exhaust system out there. GM gave you a factory titanium exhaust that was just slightly too quiet. The partial bypass makes it so its only slightly louder at idle but opens up nicely under load without that awful drone sound that some exhausts give you.
This set was cut and V-Band clamps were welded on to allow for easier assembly. The system was then powdercoated. Since the mufflers at the back of the vehicle the powdercoat has held up relatively well.
Yes that is right, this is a precision machined staircase. Constructed out of 3×4 .250 structural steel, all the plate work on this project was machined on a Fadal CNC mill. The entire staircase bolts together using custom machined slugs that are welded into the tubing. The platforms feature counterbored slugs so all the hardware that bolts the staircase together is concealed. The stair treads were formed from 5/8″ flat bar and will see wood planks after the final assembly is installed. Since we only did the fabrication on this project I don’t have photos of the finished product, but I was told it came out perfect. It better, considering the amount of precision machine work that went into it.
In preparation for the Glen Helen race coming up in June, I spent another day in the desert tuning with Sonny from Downsouth Motorsports. The car ran great and while we still have changes to make the car is getting much faster. The rear needs a bit more high speed compression to keep it from unloading and kicking the car. We are also going to sping down the dual rate disks so the springs transition (currently a linear spring rate). This should also speed up rebound a bit which should keep the tires on the ground a bit more. At the end of the day its still faster than 90% of the other rigs out there. 70mph at plaster city west is pretty fast for a solid axle car.
This was another interesting first. We took a stock AMG E55 innercooler, cut it up, removed the core of the innercooler, ran a new crossover water tube so the water would still circulate and built a new innercooler core. Since the customer runs methanol injection for cooling air there was less of a need for the innercooler, and since the factory innercooler is restrictive due to the fact that it is much too small, the center core was removed to allow for better air flow. Dyno numbers will soon tell how much more power the motor will make.
