Type
Machine base frames and bed frames, welded to drawing
The frame a machine stands on: a welded base of rectangular hollow sections or box beams, often with a deck plate, web plates and lifting lugs, that carries the drive, the bearings and the rest of the machine. The pieces of this type in the gallery run from a short stand with two side plates to a bed frame over six metres long.
What makes a base frame different from a general weldment is the machined face. Bearing seats, mounting pads and rail faces are cut flat after welding, so the frame is welded, stress-relieved where the drawing asks for it, and then set up on the boring mill as one piece.
What the drawing must show
A part like this is priced from the drawing. The quotation is fastest when it carries:
- The overall envelope and the mass, so the piece can be handled and set up for machining
- Which faces are machined after welding, with their flatness and position tolerances
- Section sizes and plate thicknesses, with the material grade
- Weld symbols on the load-bearing joints, and the inspection level the drawing calls for
- The surface finish and the colour, and which faces stay bare for a later fit
18 models of this type
Real structures that came through this company as built jobs, quoted enquiries or designs from our own office, shown as anonymous models with their measured size. Open one for its description.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 9 486 x 1 190 x 1 562 mm
A welded main frame built from two long box rails tied together by a cross tower, with plate webs, gusset ribs and bolt lugs along its length. One end carries a machined bearing plate with a bored seat, the other a bracketed pivot with stiffening ribs and mounting holes. It measures about 9.5 m long, 1.2 m wide and 1.6 m high. In this hall a part like this is set on a fixture, tacked and welded out, then bored and faced on the boring mill.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 9 282 x 2 500 x 2 830 mm
A machine base frame built from plated side walls, folded box sections and a ribbed floor, with an open top and a large round bearing bore through the central bulkhead. Stiffening ribs step down the lower chamber, with brackets, lugs and small pads set along the edges. It measures about 9.3 m long, 2.5 m wide and 2.8 m high. Here a part like this is tacked up on a fixture and welded through, with the bores and pads machined after welding.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 6 304 x 1 850 x 955 mm
A machine bed frame built from two long box-section top rails carried on rows of square-section legs with bolted foot plates, tied together by cross members and a lower rail down each side. The top rails carry a pale machined strip along their full length, giving a flat bearing face for mounting equipment. It measures about 6.3 m long, 1.9 m wide and 1.0 m high. In this hall a part like this is welded on the 14 m robotic track for a series, by hand for a one-off.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 5 500 x 1 769 x 1 274 mm
A welded machine base frame built as a long plated box, with side walls, a top deck plate and internal ribs between them. Rectangular cut-outs run along both side walls, a low platform extends at each end, and a hinged access hatch sits at one corner, with four lifting lugs on the deck for handling. It measures about 5.5 by 1.8 m and stands 1.3 m high. A part like this is cut from plate on the laser bed and tack welded on a fixture and welded out.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 4 655 x 1 469 x 1 274 mm
A base frame of this kind is a long welded box built from steel plate, with a drilled top plate, ribbed side walls carrying window cutouts, and a lower stepped platform extending from each end. Four lifting eyes sit at the top corners, and a machined pocket with bolted pads breaks one end step. It measures about 4.7 by 1.5 m, standing 1.3 m high. Pieces like this are set on a fixture, tacked and welded out, then bored and faced on the boring mill.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 4 480 x 1 430 x 530 mm
A long welded base frame built from hollow section legs and top rails, with a slatted rib floor at one end and plated floor pans at the other, split by an internal partition. A small raised box with a flat top pad sits near the middle, with footplates along both sides. It measures about 4.5 m long, 1.4 m wide and 0.5 m high. A part like this is tack welded on a fixture and welded out and welded on the robotic track or by hand.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 3 059 x 2 976 x 739 mm
A machine base frame built from two deep box beams with flat machined top plates, joined by two slimmer cross beams, with slotted floor plates fitted between them. Open box ends show internal ribs, and small brackets and pads sit on the inner faces for mounting other parts. It measures about 3.1 by 3.0 m and stands about 0.7 m high. A part like this is set on a fixture, tacked and welded out, then machined after welding on a horizontal boring mill.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 2 942 x 1 860 x 1 764 mm
A machine base frame built from two tall plate walls joined by cross beams and internal ribs. Both walls carry rectangular and circular cut-outs for access and weight saving, with round bores along the top edge for shafts or pins. It measures about 2.9 m long, 1.9 m wide and 1.8 m high. Parts like this are laser cut up to 20 mm, set on a fixture, tacked and welded out, with every bore and pad cut after welding.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 2 385 x 2 219 x 1 374 mm
A machine base frame built from two long plated box arms, joined at the back by an arched ring mount with a bored seat, plus access hatches, mounting pads and a slim bent hoop frame rising behind it. The bored ring mount, flanked by lifting lugs and stiffening ribs, is the standout feature. It measures about 2.4 m long, 2.2 m wide and 1.4 m high. A part like this is welded out on a fixture, with the bores and pads machined after welding.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 4 140 x 2 242 x 1 530 mm
A support frame of this kind is built from welded box and channel sections forming a long ladder shaped base, with plated gusset brackets, bored lugs, lifting eyes and a raised plated cradle at one end. Standout features include rows of stiffening ribs, bolted mounting brackets with machined bores, and a boxed rear crossmember. It measures about 4.1 m long, 2.2 m wide and 1.5 m high. Such a part is set on a fixture, tacked and welded out, then bored and faced on the boring mill.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 5 994 x 310 x 3 446 mm
A flat machine frame made of box section rails and uprights, standing on its narrow edge. Four long horizontal rails tie into two vertical posts, braced by cross members, with end plates and bolt holes closing the rail ends. Two short stub columns rise above the top rail. It measures about 6.0 m long, 0.3 m wide and 3.4 m high. A part like this is set on a fixture, tacked and welded out, with the bores and pads machined after welding.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 2 300 x 1 960 x 1 032 mm
A two-level machine frame built up from hollow section beams and legs, with small deck plates, cross members and a lower grid tying the base together. A raised rail with bored mounting holes runs along the back edge, and deck plates sit at different heights across both levels. It measures about 2.3 by 2.0 m and stands about 1.0 m high. Here a part like this is tacked up on a fixture and welded through, then bored and faced on the boring mill.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 1 970 x 1 950 x 1 510 mm
A machine stand formed from two tall side plates with chamfered, sloped shoulders, linked by a rectangular top frame and lower cross beams on flat foot plates. The side plates carry bored holes, cut-outs and small mounting brackets, with a braced lower section tying the legs together. It measures about 2.0 by 1.9 m and stands about 1.5 m high. A part like this is cut from plate on the laser bed and welded out on a fixture.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 2 246 x 1 367 x 1 039 mm
A machine stand base built as a plated weldment, with a tall centre wall, side boxes and sloped end brackets tying everything together. Both views show two drilled rail faces running along the sides, round bored holes through the wall, and flanged feet at the corners. The perforated rails and angled gusset brackets stand out most. It measures about 2.2 by 1.4 m and stands 1.0 m high. A part like this is tack welded on a fixture and welded out, with every bore and pad cut after welding.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 2 422 x 1 500 x 881 mm
A base frame of welded box section plate forms a flat open grid, with a plated housing box rising at one end. The housing has a sloped, open-top front wall with a machined access pocket, while the frame edges carry mounting bores and bracket cutouts along the sides. It measures about 2.4 m long, 1.5 m wide and 0.9 m high. Here a part like this is welded out on a fixture, then machined after welding on a horizontal boring mill.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 6 782 x 2 485 x 475 mm
A rectangular box section frame built as a long, flat outer ring of deep welded box sections, with a lighter inner ledge strip running its full length and small pad plates spaced along the top edges. The open centre and flat pad faces stand out, set to carry mounted equipment. It measures about 6.8 m long, 2.5 m wide and 0.5 m high. Here a part like this is set on a fixture, tacked and welded out, with every bore and pad cut after welding.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 2 085 x 1 250 x 690 mm
A support frame built from two box rails with open ends, carrying a folded deck plate with chamfered corners above and slotted bracket plates below. Machined bores, lugs and a stub shaft sit at the front, with cross plates and gussets tying the rails together. The folded deck stands out against the boxy rails. It measures about 2.1 by 1.3 m, 0.7 m high. Such parts are welded out on a fixture, with the bores and pads machined after welding.
- Overall size, L x W x H
- 1 882 x 989 x 625 mm
A compact base frame built from welded plate and box ribs, with a drilled end plate, two drilled top rails and angled stiffener webs running between them. Thick ring lugs sit at the corners, with bored pivot seats and machined pads on the top faces for mounting. It measures about 1.9 m long, 1.0 m wide and 0.6 m high. In this hall a part like this is tack welded on a fixture and welded out, with every bore and pad cut after welding.
Each model is rendered from its own geometry in raw steel, without paint, and is shown as a still. Customer names, machine designations and drawing numbers are not published; part lists and files are not offered. The interactive model above this section is a parametric example, not one of these.
How a part like this goes through the hall
Plates are laser cut on a 2 000 x 4 000 mm bed up to 20 mm, sections are cut to length, and the frame is tack welded on a fixture before it is welded out, by hand or on the 14 m robotic welding track for a series. Machined faces are then cut on a horizontal boring mill with 6 200 x 3 000 x 1 600 mm of travel. The frame is blasted and painted in the booths on site, and measured against the drawing before it leaves.
Where this fits
Capabilities it runs through
Industries that order it
Notes from the blog
Other types in this group
Start here
Send the drawing. We answer with a price and a date.
STEP, DWG, DXF, PDF or ZIP, up to five files. Your drawings stay private: they are stored outside the web server and read only by our engineers.