Architectural metalwork for lab equipment storage

The Client

The Brief

The Challenge

The challenge was manufacturing doors uniform in size and appearance that fitted perfectly into uneven cavities. (We also created the shelving for inside the cupboards.) Even a ‘ml’ discrepancy can make a difference to how a door hangs so from experience we k now to base our measurements on the smallest size and adapt to fit while ensuring uniformity.

This was a typical architectural metalwork projects in many ways:

• Manufacturing the doors using aluminium for reasons of weight and looks
• Perforating the doors to allow the air to circulate inside the cupboards and for aesthetic reasons. (It also reduced the weight even more.)
• Careful choice of accessories such as soft-close hinges

We chose to spot-weld the aluminium as it’s neater, cleaner and less prone to distortion – almost like invisible welding. However it also requires a lot more skill. Aluminium conducts electricity and heat very easily, so we had to work fast to avoid overheating the doors.

We CNC punched the perforations in the aluminium, following a pattern that was adjusted according to each door size.

Regulations & Safety Considerations

• Client approved risk assessment
• Lifting and installing at height

Timescale