Accuracy & Speed
Case Study: Engineering a Custom Punching Tool for Underground Mining Cable Tray
Industry: Mining
Project type: Custom tooling and mechanical design
Client: Confidential
Design status: Engineering and FEA validation completed; manufacture and physical testing pending
Project Overview
A purpose-designed solution to a repetitive installation challenge
Macri Engineering was engaged to design and engineer a specialised punching tool for modifying stainless steel electrical ladder cable tray used in underground mining installations.
The objective was to simplify a repetitive preparation task, reduce processing time and produce the required rectangular hole pattern for splice-plate connections.
The proposed solution combines a readily available Milwaukee M18 power-tool platform with a custom-engineered punching head designed specifically for the application.
Design development, engineering and FEA design validation have been completed. The tool has not yet been manufactured or physically tested.
The Challenges
Improving an inefficient cable tray modification process
During underground mine installations, cable tray modifications presented three key challenges affecting preparation efficiency and finished hole geometry.
Time consuming
Up to five minutes per tray end for manual marking and drilling.
Manual process
Repetitive nature of drilling through 2mm stainless steel.
Hole geometry
Oversized round holes instead of the specified rectangular holes.
Macri Engineering developed the concept and completed the mechanical design and engineering of a specialised punching tool designed to produce the five-hole pattern in a single operation, eliminating the need for manual marking out.
The solution combines a commercially available power-tool platform with a custom-engineered punching head designed to produce the required rectangular hole geometry.
Engineering validation using finite element analysis (FEA) was completed, and a safety risk assessment identified pinch points as a key design consideration. Mechanical guarding was incorporated into the design to address this risk.
The Engineering Solution
The Results
The completed design targets a significant reduction in processing time, from up to five minutes to an estimated four-second tool cycle.
The proposed solution is designed to:
Reduce the time required to prepare each cable tray end
Produce the five-hole pattern in a single operation
Achieve the required rectangular hole geometry for splice-bolt engagement
Address identified pinch-point risks through mechanical guarding
The four-second cycle time is based on a calculated maximum-load tool cycle, not physical testing. The tool has not yet been manufactured, so actual performance and safe operation remain to be verified.
Performance Comparison
Engineering Better Outcomes
This project demonstrates Macri Engineering's practical approach to custom mechanical engineering: developing purpose-designed tooling to address specific industrial challenges, improve process efficiency and meet application requirements.
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