Rapid Prototyping: Thermal Protection for 9-Ton Silo Installation

The Headache

An industrial client faced a critical failure point during the installation of 9-ton silos. The design required the tanks to be welded directly to pre-cast ground plates with all components in thier final bolted positions. However, the silos were designed to sit on high-precision electronic load cells. The heat transfer from the heavy structural welding of the 25mm Stainless Steel components posed an immediate threat to the internal electronics of the load cells—risking thousands in component damage and significant project delays.

The Process

To protect the client's assets without halting the installation:

Reverse Engineering: We mapped the load cell dimensions and bolt patterns to create 1:1 "Dummy" replicas.

Rapid Iteration: Using Fusion360, we designed heavy-duty steel spacers that mimicked the exact height and footprint of the active sensors.

Fabrication: We engaged our laser-cutting partners for a fast turnaround on 10mm plate steel, then completed the structural fabrication and finishing in-house.

The Result

The dummy cells were delivered to the site quickly allowing the pre booked and scheduled welding team to complete the structural installation at full heat without risking the electronics. Once the plates cooled, the dummies were swapped for the real load cells. The project stayed exactly on schedule with zero component failures.