Caterham Chassis manufacture

Caterham Chassis manufacture – How it’s done……

Caged are investing in over £500,000 worth of modern manufacturing equipment and are moving to a 9500sqft facility in Frome, Somerset, to service the new Caterham chassis contract.

The following information is intended to give you a quick insight to the processes and equipment we are employing.

CAD

Utilising the latest in parametric 3D modelling software, Caged are able to design an accurate and definitive chassis for both S3, SV and CSR. The software allows us to model all the individual parts in the chassis such as tubes, plates and bushes. Not only do we design the chassis assembly on CAD but all the fixtures and jigs are designed from the model to ensure total accuracy.

The software then gives us all the information we need to drive the CNC equipment.

BLM ADIGE TUBE LASER

One of our biggest investments, the LT120 is a tube eating monster, with a capacity of between 12mm and 120mm OD tube or box section. Load 4 tons of 6.5m tube into the bundle loader at one end, and the 1kw Blade laser resonator will munch its way through and discharge all the parts out the other end – all automatically, nested to reduce wastage and with an accuracy of 0.1mm. The LT120 will process parts for most of the assemblies we are building and will cut and notch the tubes for chassis, wishbones and A frames etc. One ability the LT120 has is to pre cut the rivet holes into the chassis to reduce the time it takes to panel a chassis.

PANASONIC ROBOTIC WELDING CELL

Our next biggest investment is the robot cell. Utilising the latest 64 bit technology, the computer not only controls the robot, but also the welding power source allowing the interface to operate up to 250 times faster than conventional robots. The robot will weld utilising the ‘SP MAG’ system. Imagine this as MIG welding – but on steroids, with no undercut and with a repeatable accuracy of 0.1mm!! The computer collects welding data every 100 micro seconds and monitors for welding defects and corrects current, voltage and wire speed automatically depending on the material type and thickness it encounters. The robot will also pulse weld 100 times per second minimising the heat input into the chassis and therefore reducing the heat effected zone. Another welding option is the DIP PULSE system that lets us weld thick and thin material together, ideal for items such as the dedion tubes. All the fixture jigs will be designed on our software and cut using our equipment, increasing accuracy and repeatability.

SHEET LASER CUTTER

Not such modern technology any more, but boy what a toy to have in the workshop. The sheet cutter will cut all the plates that you will find on the chassis, and will also cut all the aluminium panels that will clad the chassis. Just as with the tube laser, the sheet laser will cut all the rivet holes in the panels for ease of assembly.

Also being purchased are a CNC lathe, CNC milling machine, CNC pressbrake and powder coat oven.

Utilising the above equipment, we predict delivering chassis of unparalleled quality and repeatability.

Video links to equipment demos are listed below.

LT120 Tube Laser Video

Panasonic Robot Welding - apologies for the blue hair....

General Robot Welding

Thanks go to our key suppliers - BLM Group UK, Barclays Bank PLC, CADTEK.

If you have any questions on the processes, please do not hesitate to contact us.