Technology & Innovation

Ahead of the curve

The Future of Steel Fabrication.

At Watkins Steel, our commitment lies in consistently enhancing our processing capabilities for onshore operations. We are dedicated to staying ahead in our industry through ongoing research and strategic investments. As leaders in the field, we take pride in embracing the latest technology and remaining at the forefront of advancements.

Watkins Capabilities

We provide full-service digital engineering offerings to accompany our steel fabrication, which other companies outsource.

This includes laser scanning, construction modelling, construction setouts and site verification

Our overall capabilities include: 

  • 11,000 sq metres of factory
  • 100+ team members
  • 20 in-house draftspersons
  • 15 gantry cranes 
  • 10 robotic/automatic lines
  • 3000+  tonnes of steel per year

FLAT AND ANGLE CNC PROCESSING

  • Centrepoint marking/counter sinking/drilling/layout marking/numbering/shearing/sorting/thread tapping
  • 7 vertical punches/1 horizontal punch 
  • 110 tonne vertical punch
  • 70 tonne punch capacity

MULTI PROCESSES CNC HEAVY-DUTY PLATE MACHINE

 

  • Multiple Machining Operations – Drilling, Tapping, Milling, Counter boring, Counter sinking 
  • Multiple Cutting Operations – Plasma, Plasma Bevel, Flame 
  • Pin Marking.

PLATE DEBURRING

  • 0 – 100mm table opening
  • 1350, 1600mm working width
  • Deburring/edge breaking /edge rounding/finishing 2mm radius on mild steel

3D LASER TUBE PROCESSING

  • All profiles
  • 18m stock infeed/management
  • Max 600mm diameter 
  • Weld preps/copes/slots

MULTI SYSTEM INTEGRATED CNC BEAM PROCESSING​

  • Drilling/sawing/coping 
  • 18m stock infeed/management 
  • Max 1000WB
  • Weld preps/copes/slots

ROBOTIC WELDING

  • 18m maximum length
  • Max 1000WB 
  • Max 4.5 tonnes

Our Experience with Robotics

We use the combination of the V630 Drilling Machine and VB1050 Band Saw to begin the process. The Voortman V630 Drilling Machine uses three independent drilling heads and automatic tool changing for four-side processing of steel. While the Voortman VB1050 Band Saw is specially designed to produce high quality cuts of structural steel at optimal cutting speeds.

Benefits of Robotic Fabrication

The benefit of this technology is that model-based information from Tekla Structures 3D Software can be imported directly to the Voortman machines for processing and fabrication. This process ensures the consistent, reliable and accurate transfer of information between the shop drawing and fabrication process. In addition, the quality of structural steel is improved as rectification work is significantly reduced with the precision of automated robotics.

Ready to take your steel fabrication to the next level?

Get in touch with us today to see how our robotic technology can benefit your steel fabrication needs.