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Alpha Manufacturing recognised a growing need for a more robust, data-driven inspection processes, particularly when serving customers with complex, high-precision fabrication requirements. The business sought to move beyond traditional inspection methods and adopt a system capable of capturing accurate, repeatable data, both for customer assurance and internal quality development Like any implementation of new technology, Alpha Manufacturing’s adoption of the MetraSCAN has come with its share of practical considerations. Rather than obstacles, these early challenges have provided valuable insights, highlighting areas where processes can be strengthened and ensuring the business is set up for long-term success. From team structure to infrastructure planning, Alpha Manufacturing is taking a thoughtful and phased approach to integration. • Establishing Ownership: The business is actively developing internal champions who will help embed the MetraSCAN into daily quality processes and cross-functional workflows. • Facility Planning: A dedicated scanning area is currently being developed to house the system in a controlled, optimised environment, ensuring consistency, ease of use, and operational flow. • Process Development: While initial usage has focused on immediate needs, Alpha Manufacturing is now formalising reporting protocols and exploring how to best integrate data outputs across departments. • Future-Focused Mindset: The team recognises the importance of shifting from reactive checks to proactive process control, and is putting structures in place to make that transition. These steps reflect Alpha Manufacturing’s commitment not just to adopting technology, but to embedding it meaningfully and sustainably into the business

Alpha Manufacturing selected the Creaform MetraSCAN 3D for its flexibility, precision, and suitability for varied subcontracting demands: Key Features: • Metrology-Grade Accuracy: Up to 0.025mm, enabling high-precision dimensional analysis • High-Speed Scanning: Captures millions of data points per second, up to 25x faster than traditional methods • Portability: Lightweight and easy to deploy across different areas of the shop floor • Intelligent Tracking: Scans remain accurate even if the part or scanner is moved during measurement • Quick Setup: Ready to use in minutes, reducing downtime and increasing responsiveness This versatility made it the ideal choice for Alpha Manufacturing, where projects can range from small intricate parts to assemblies of large-scale components

Although still in the early stages of its journey, Alpha Manufacturing is already seeing the positive impact of adopting 3D scanning. The MetraSCAN is helping the business respond more confidently to customer demands while setting the stage for deeper process improvements. With a clear roadmap in place, the benefits are expected to grow steadily over the coming months, particularly as scanning becomes embedded in day-to-day operations. • Improved confidence in quality for key fabrication customers • A structured roadmap toward full process integration • Plans for a digital library of scanning templates to support high-volume repeat work • Reduced reliance on manual measurement and end-of-line inspection • Growing internal alignment around data-driven quality assurance

Ship construction involves assembling large structural “blocks” or sections, often manufactured in different areas of the yard, or even off-site, before being brought together for final installation. Traditionally, positioning these sections relied on lower-accuracy tools such as theodolites and tape measures, combined with manual referencing methods. This approach presented several challenges: Time-consuming verification processes Reduced positioning accuracy Increased likelihood of section movement prior to welding Greater time spent working around suspended loads, posing safety risks

To address these challenges, 1st Horizon supported the implementation of the FARO Vantage Laser Tracker. This advanced system provides real-time 3D coordinate data (X, Y, Z), allowing for precise alignment of each section during installation. Using laser tracking technology, operatives can monitor and adjust positioning live, ensuring each section aligns as closely as possible to the original design intent before welding takes place.

The introduction of laser tracking technology delivered significant improvements across the project: Increased Accuracy: Precise alignment of ship sections to nominal design specifications Enhanced Efficiency: Faster verification and reduced installation time Improved Safety: Less time spent working around suspended sections Reduced Rework: Minimised risk of misalignment and subsequent corrections By integrating high-precision laser tracking into the ship assembly process, 1st Horizon enabled the client to enhance both operational performance and build quality significantly. By adopting advanced measurement technology, we resolved long-standing alignment and verification challenges and moved to a more proactive, controlled approach to large-scale construction. This project demonstrates how moving away from traditional, manual measurement methods toward real-time, data-driven solutions can unlock substantial efficiencies. With improved accuracy at the point of installation, the client was able to reduce reliance on rework, maintain tighter project timelines, and achieve greater consistency across the build process. Importantly, the impact extended beyond productivity gains. By minimising the time operatives spent working around suspended sections, the solution also contributed to a safer working environment, an increasingly critical consideration across the industry. Overall, this case study highlights the value of combining 1st Horizon’s technical expertise with cutting-edge measurement technologies to deliver practical, measurable improvements. It reinforces the role of precision metrology in modern shipbuilding and showcases how innovation can support safer, faster, and more reliable project delivery.

DGF Engineering needed to enhance its inspection capabilities to meet rising customer expectations and support business growth. Initially, an optical inspection system was considered, but the company sought independent advice to ensure a robust capital investment.

We began by understanding DGF Engineering's current methods, component types, and long-term goals. We then facilitated the evaluation of multiple technologies, including attending exhibitions and visiting manufacturers, to ensure a comprehensive assessment.

By challenging the initial specification and recommending a modern Coordinate Measuring Machine over an optical system, we enabled DGF Engineering to make a larger, but more strategic, investment. This unlocked superior long-term capabilities in automated inspection, CAD comparison, First Article Inspection Reports, and reverse engineering.

A baby wipes manufacturer in North Wales needed to remove manual palletising from the end of two production lines. Palletising by hand at this volume was repetitive, physically demanding work that limited both the speed and consistency of the line. The business needed a robotic solution capable of building varied, stable pallet patterns automatically, safely, and reliably, without anyone needing to be on the pallet build at any point.

Duke Control Systems supported the system designer and equipment manufacturer on the project, providing additional engineering capacity to commission two KUKA robotic palletising cells. Scope covered electrical fault finding across both lines, development of multiple pallet patterns in the robot programming to suit different product configurations, robot programming in KRL (from vacuum-gripper pick off the infeed conveyor through to placement in the pallet pattern), and full safety system commissioning, Fortress safety gates, SICK light scanners, and pneumatic sliding doors for safe changeover and maintenance access.

Both robotic palletising lines were successfully commissioned and handed over, removing manual palletising entirely across both production lines. The result is a faster, more reliable, and significantly safer end of line, with consistent pallet builds and full safety-rated guarding protecting nearby operators. Further robotic palletising systems are now being considered for other sites across the UK.

A major US automotive manufacturer is planning a significant new facility spanning body in white, paint, general assembly, trim and final. Ahead of the build, the business needed a clear, tested, and documented set of standards for robot simulation and virtual commissioning to ensure consistency across all suppliers. Without agreed standards, different suppliers would approach virtual commissioning in different ways, different tools, model fidelity, and testing criteria, leading to inconsistency, rework, and integration risk once physical build began.

Duke Control Systems is working directly alongside the manufacturer's own engineering team to develop, test, and document new virtual commissioning standards spanning three simulation platforms: Siemens Process Simulate, FANUC Roboguide, and FE Screen Sim. To prove the standards before wider rollout, Duke is delivering a test case using a single PLC controlling 14 FANUC robots, developed and validated entirely against the emerging standards and subjected to an intensive testing process designed to surface any gaps before they hit a real programme. Duke is also producing the documentation needed for the standards to be adopted across the manufacturer's full supplier base.

The virtual commissioning standards were successfully developed, tested, and documented in full collaboration with the manufacturer's engineering team. The test case — a single PLC controlling 14 FANUC robots — was delivered, simulated, and validated entirely against the new standards, proving they hold up under an intensive testing process before wider rollout. With the standards and supporting documentation now complete, they are ready for adoption by all suppliers across the manufacturer's future programmes, giving the business a single, consistent specification for virtual commissioning from day one of the new facility build.

A UK medical device manufacturer was developing an automated assembly line for a small ophthalmic surgical device used by surgeons during complex eye operations. Tolerances were exceptionally tight, components needed to be correctly oriented with no room for ambiguity, and the assembly environment had to be verified completely free of dust and particle contamination at every stage. Manual inspection wasn't a realistic option at this scale and tolerance, so a fully integrated machine vision system was needed to check orientation and cleanliness on every part, every cycle, with zero tolerance for error.

Duke Control Systems was brought in for the vision system scope, developing and commissioning a 9-camera Cognex inspection system fully integrated with the line's Siemens PLC. Duke's engineers worked through each of the nine stations individually, capturing reference images under production lighting and developing bespoke vision programs tuned to the exact part geometry and defect criteria at each stage. Orientation verification logic was developed to reject any part with even the smallest deviation, while the vision system was configured to detect contamination at a level invisible to manual inspection. Duke's vision engineers also worked closely with the project's Siemens PLC team to implement reliable handshaking between each camera and the PLC, pass/fail signals, station sequencing, and reject handling, ready for customer FAT at a facility in the North of England.

The completed vision system gave the manufacturer a fast, reliable, fully automated way of verifying both orientation and cleanliness on every unit produced, removing dependence on manual inspection for a product where an undetected defect carried significant consequences. The system was proven and ready ahead of the customer FAT, with Duke's engineers supporting the test itself and demonstrating the inspection logic and PLC integration performing as specified. The manufacturer now has a production process capable of consistently producing a small, precision surgical device to a level of accuracy and cleanliness manual methods couldn't reliably match, with full traceability built into every inspection cycle.

A UK automotive manufacturer was running a body in white production line, controlled by a Rockwell PLC with KUKA robots across multiple stations that was operational but not performing at the throughput level the business needed. The cycle time was longer than it should have been, and the business wanted to know what was causing it and whether it could be improved without major capital investment or extended downtime. The added difficulty: the line couldn't simply be stopped to experiment, so every change needed to be understood, planned, and proven before it touched production, fitting around the shift pattern with everything safe and reversible.

Duke's engineers started with pure observation, spending time on the line watching each station and recording video of the robots and full cycle sequence without making any changes. That footage was then analysed offline, frame-by-frame, to review each robot's motion, the timing of handshakes between stations, and where time was being lost, surfacing multiple improvement opportunities, each small individually but significant collectively. Changes were then implemented during shift breaks and after production shifts so output was never interrupted: KUKA robot programs were adjusted to refine motion paths, cut unnecessary wait times, and tighten sequencing between stations, with any changes touching the Rockwell PLC logic handled carefully to maintain safe, correct operation. Each modification was implemented and verified incrementally before moving to the next.

Across seven days on site, Duke's engineers identified and implemented multiple targeted improvements to the KUKA robot programs and station sequencing, achieving a cycle time reduction of 34.33% — saving 103 seconds on every cycle the line runs. For a line running continuously across multiple shifts, that translates directly into a significant increase in units produced per shift, per day, and per year, achieved without any additional capital investment, without extending the line, and with zero unplanned production downtime.

A major UK automotive manufacturer in the West Midlands needed to introduce a new long wheelbase vehicle variant into its production programme. The existing conveyor skid buffer system had been designed and programmed around the dimensions and routing requirements of the standard vehicle range, and the existing Allen Bradley Rockwell PLC routing logic didn't account for the additional length of the new variant. Without modification, the buffer wouldn't handle the new vehicles correctly, the routing rules, sequencing logic, and HMI all needed updating to accommodate the new variant safely, without introducing risk to the existing production programme running alongside it.

Duke Control Systems developed the updated routing logic entirely offline before touching the live system, reviewing the existing Allen Bradley Rockwell PLC program in detail and designing, building, and testing the modifications needed to accommodate long wheelbase vehicles in a simulation environment first. HMI screens were updated in parallel to give operators clear visibility of long wheelbase vehicle positions within the buffer from day one. Once offline development was complete, Duke's engineers commissioned the updated software on site, methodically testing edge cases and mixed-variant scenarios to confirm correct behaviour with both standard and long wheelbase variants present. Duke then supported the formal customer buy-off process and remained on site for startup support during the initial production period.

The updated PLC routing logic and HMI were successfully commissioned and signed off by the customer. Long wheelbase vehicles entered the skid buffer system alongside the existing standard range without issue, with the routing logic correctly handling mixed-variant production from the outset. Duke's startup support ensured a smooth transition into live production, and the customer confirmed a successful handover with no production issues arising from the controls changes.

One of the primary objectives of the project was to improve the safety of personnel working within the manufacturing facility and protect assets from forklift trucks and moving machinery in the immediate area.

The system was engineered to create a clearly defined restricted-access area while maintaining full visibility of the enclosed equipment. Heavy-duty steel mesh panels were combined with integrated access doors and vehicle impact protection barriers to provide a robust and long-lasting safety solution. The bright yellow powder-coated finish ensures excellent visibility within the workplace and helps reinforce designated safety zones throughout the facility.

The installation was designed, manufactured, and installed to provide a secure protective enclosure around critical electrical control equipment, helping to improve site safety, equipment protection, and operational compliance.

To create secure, lockable storage units in the space available while maintaining visibility and compliance.

The project involved the installation of a series of individually divided mesh locker units within an existing facility. Each compartment has been designed to provide dedicated storage space while maintaining visibility, airflow and security throughout the installation. Constructed from heavy-duty steel mesh and powder-coated steel framing, the locker system offers a durable and long-lasting solution capable of withstanding the demands of a busy operational environment. The secure lockable doors ensure that equipment, personal belongings and operational assets remain protected while remaining easily accessible to authorised users.

Designed, manufactured and installed to meet stringent security and operational requirements, the project provides a robust, organised and highly secure storage environment for personnel and equipment.

A dedicated workspace for management, administration and operational teams while maintaining excellent visibility across the warehouse to support the day-to-day demands of a busy distribution operation.

For this South Yorkshire project, the brief was to create a robust, professional office space within the warehouse that would allow staff to work comfortably while remaining connected to warehouse activities, while maintaining safety & compliance.

The completed office features: Bespoke steel partitioning construction Integrated glazed viewing panels for enhanced visibility Durable powder-coated finish Secure access points Future-proof modular design allowing for relocation or expansion Fast installation with minimal disruption to operations ​ The result is a practical workspace that improves communication, supervision and operational efficiency throughout the facility.

The client was experiencing inefficiencies associated with standard off-the-shelf handling equipment. Textile products and components of varying sizes required a storage and picking solution that could: ​ Improve picking accuracy Increase storage density within the trolley footprint Reduce manual handling effort Enhance product organisation during production and dispatch Improve workflow between warehouse and manufacturing areas ​ After consulting with the customer, our design team developed a custom mobile picking trolley with multiple storage bays, integrated tote locations, and a robust steel construction for demanding industrial environments.

The finished trolley was manufactured from heavy-duty steel and finished in a durable powder-coated blue finish. Key features include: ​ Multiple compartmentalised picking lanes Dedicated storage locations for tote bins High-capacity load-bearing design Heavy-duty castors for smooth mobility Clearly defined picking positions to improve organisation Bespoke dimensions designed around the customer's products and warehouse layout ​ By designing the trolley specifically around the textile manufacturer's process, we created a solution that integrates seamlessly into their daily operations. ​

A bespoke picking trolley that improved operational efficiency, reduced operational costs and improved safety. The effects were seen in real time, with the trolley carrying 70% more product with reduced loading and picking times.

As demand for engineering components and spare parts continues to grow, the client required a secure storage solution that would maximise available warehouse space while maintaining visibility, accessibility and compliance with site safety requirements.

Working closely with the client, Bespoke Industrial designed and installed a full-height mesh partitioning system that creates a dedicated secure storage zone within the warehouse. The installation incorporates: ​ Full-height steel mesh partitioning extending to the building structure Secure access points for authorised personnel Open mesh construction for visibility and airflow A durable powder-coated finish for long-term performance A modular design that can be adapted as operational requirements evolve

The result is a secure and professional storage environment that supports efficient stock management and protects valuable engineering inventory.

Our client faced operational and safety challenges within their manufacturing warehouse and needed a solution to reduce safety risks, create dedicated working zones and improve operational efficiency.

For this Doncaster-based client, the objective was to create a clearly defined operational area that separated manufacturing activities from surrounding warehouse functions. The solution was a robust steel partitioning system that provides a permanent, high-quality division without the expense and disruption associated with constructing traditional internal buildings.

The finished installation delivers a clean, professional appearance while creating a dedicated workspace tailored to the client's operational requirements.