We design, fabricate, paint and erect structural steelwork for the construction industry. We cherish our flexibility, specialising in both primary and secondary steelwork.

In fact, over two thirds of our projects are design and build, and we have an impressive presence of experienced structural engineers, most of whom are Graduates or Chartered. Our design resource utilises the latest and most effective steelwork design software packages including:

• Tekla Structural Designer
• Tekla Portal Frame Designer
• Tekla TEDDS
• S-Frame 3-D analysis
• IDEA Statica Connection
• Tekla Connection Designer
• MasterSeries MasterKey : Connections

Designs incorporate the latest amendments to BS EN 1993 or BS5950.

We have consistently striven to maintain our position as the leading exponent in 3-D modelling - as employed by the structural steelwork industry.

Our drawing office has, since the mid-1980s led the industry forward in 3-D modelling. Our experience and in house expertise from operating in a fully integrated CAD CAM environment for over twenty years is unparalleled.

We can receive directly 3-D models from many software systems packages that are widely used throughout the industry, for example Tekla and Revit.

Detail models are combined into a single high integrity-working model of the whole structure. All issues to production are from the working model and are passed seamlessly through to production control where items are automatically rated and routed to the correct CNC machine.

Materials are procured via EDI links and schedules drawn up in conjunction with our customers delivery requirements.

High speed plotting and copying, using the latest Canon equipment, is employed to reduce bottlenecks and delays. All incoming drawings not received electronically are scanned and made available through our intranet to all parties involved in the project.

Our production facility consists of the latest in Hi-Tech CNC equipment. Production per man-hour is among the highest in the industry for comparable structures.

Our main production facilities:-

• The Cut Shack - our Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Control Centre with the latest high speed CNC band saws and drills
• The Production Facility - all steel is moved through the manufacturing process by moving conveyor systems
• The Paint Shop - offering a full shot blast capability and a variety of surface finishes including paint, intumescent fire protection and galvanising.
• The Secondary Steelwork and Small Buildings Workshop - offering CE Marked Secondary steelwork

• Maximum lift: 30 tonnes
• Number of cranes: 32
• CNC 2.5m wide 6 wheel Shot blast plant: to SA 2.5 standard
• The latest high speed CNC plasma drill burn machining centre, CNC plasma punch burn drill, and CNC Rsa Flat punch and crop.
• Tube Profiler
• CNC Plasma plate cutting punch machines
• Camber Beams – machine
• Two submerged arc welding machines

Caunton Engineering maintains its own most modern Painting Facility, contiguous to its fabrication facilities. The building, as shown in the photograph, also includes workshop and office space totalling 37,052 square feet (3,442 square metres), with a 25 metre long loading dock at the north end. The workshop is 7.5 metres in height with an uninterrupted roof span of 30 metres and is serviced by three electric overhead cranes.

The company offers a full shot blast capability and a variety of surface finishes including paint, intumescent fire protection and galvanising. Current production is 40,000 tonnes per year.

Caunton's standard, and typical, specification is - Structural Steelwork to be shot-blasted to SA 2½ standard prior to fabrication and after fabrication painted with one coat of high build two pack epoxy zinc phosphate primer to 75 microns nominal D.F.T. before despatch.

Our erection department directly employs our steel erectors, who have been fully trained in both erection and health-and-safety best practice. All erectors and management hold the necessary documentation to satisfy the current stringent MCG requirements. The erection department comprises eight erection managers and a full time site engineer. All erection managers have SMSTS accreditation.

Our erection teams are reinforced by a fleet of most modern vehicles, fully equipped with the necessary tools for the trade. These have, via the company extranet, direct web links into the main company functions of design, drawing office and fabrication. This allows immediate recognition of any site problem and offers the means of accelerating speedy rectification. All company vehicles are fitted with the latest satellite location system enabling us to manage our fleet to its full potential. The company also retains four site modification vehicles.

By directly employing our own erection teams we can ensure the reliability and skills of this vital service within our business.

The ultra-modern Academy facilities provide a model production line aided to simulate and map the processes of an actual working production line and industrial environment.

Renovation provided the state-of-the-art welding training facility with eight new mig-welding plants and plasma cutting units, improved extraction units and extensive measuring equipment such as digital callipers and micrometers, tap & die sets and oxy-propane burning equipment.

The production line not only benefits the Caunton Apprentices, it is also used in the deliverance of work experience for 14-16 year olds from a number of local schools, which to date has proved highly successful.

During the training process health and safety is constantly re-enforced within the controlled environment to fully prepare the apprentices for working production lines.

Our IT has steadily been growing for over 35 years, in the development of computer aided solutions for the design and manufacture of structural steelwork. The 3-D model of the structure is the hub from which all subsequent activities emanate. Once prepared the model enables in the first place the preparation of estimates at pre-contract stage, and consequently drives structural development and the full detailing of the project. The information is then fed directly from this model to the computer aided manufacturing facility and electronic buying systems.

The IT department also innovates, monitors and controls the means of extracting information from the operational software applications into the seamless environment of the company intranet - or Deltek PIM. This environment can then be made available to partners in the Caunton supply chain client, professional team, main or management contractor, or supplier - via our website and extranet.

The intranet application has been very successful and is used to manage all our contracts and enquiries as well as other aspects of the business. We have also been involved with and successfully used several web based project extranets in partnership with clients.