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A customer and boat owner came to us with a request for help with his badly corroded boat swim ladder brackets. Keen to help, we discussed the problems with the existing brackets and set about coming to a solution.
The stainless steel swim-ladder brackets which had been on the boat for some time were suffering a number of problems, as can be seen in the pictrure below:
The problematic bracket had been originally made by cobbling together a circular part with some welded on lugs, which made the geometry (the lugs and their proximity to the fixing holes) a bit compromised. In addition, years of galvanic corrosion (the boat had lacked any sacrificial anodes) had caused severe weakening of the stainless steel bracket.
After brief discussions with the customer we put together a new design geometry (modelled in 3D CAD) to check that the appearance of the new design and the fit would be appropriate. The design and cost of the new brackets were quickly agreed.
The new brackets were to be made from 316 (marine-grade) stainless steel, welded together with the TIG-welding process, and polished to finish. The TIG-welding process (using 316L filler rod) gives both a good structural connection, but just as importantly a weld which is free of oxidation during the welding process, which can the be polished along with the parent materials. Polishing for fabricated 316 stainless steel parts is a necessary part of achieving a long-lasting appearance in salt-water environments, but in order to get to the polishing stage, it is important that the TIG-welding is well-performed in the first place. This is a matter of technique and good shielding during the welding process, experience and equipment selection are key in achieving this.
In this simple example, we show how we like to work with customers, but of course it is important to fit in with what the customer would like to achieve.
Here we can see the CAD design, next to the manufactured component. We often perform such modelling tasks at little or no cost, as believe the benefits outweigh the time taken, and help ensure that there are no surprises along the way.
The above work-flow illustrates our preferred process, for a simple example. We also undertake much more challenging and ambitious projects. If you are interested in our design and/or bespoke manufacturing services then please do get in touch with us, we are always keen to have a chat and to see how we can help.
Further information our our bespoke services can be found by clicking here