Mechanical Design - Hamilton By Design Co.

Mechanical Design & Custom Equipment Layouts

Consulting-led mechanical engineering for real-world plants and equipment

At Hamilton By Design, we help owners, operators and project teams turn practical ideas into safe, buildable and reliable mechanical solutions.

Whether you’re upgrading a brownfield plant, resolving a persistent reliability issue or planning a new process line, we provide consulting-led mechanical design and custom equipment layouts that are grounded in real site conditions and fabrication reality.

How we help

We work as an extension of your project or maintenance team to:

Define the problem clearly – capacity, reliability, safety, access, compliance or all of the above
Capture the real geometry – using drawings, site measurements and (where required) 3D LiDAR scanning
Develop mechanical concepts – multiple options, with pros/cons and constructability in mind
Engineer the details – materials, load paths, supports, fixings, wear protection, sealing and maintainability
Produce fabrication-ready information – so your fabricator and installers know exactly what to build and how it fits

We stay involved from concept through to installation support, so there’s one accountable engineering contact from start to finish.

What we design

Our team can assist with both discrete equipment and integrated plant layouts, including:

Chutes, hoppers & bins – new designs, flow improvements, wear-liner upgrades, debottlenecking
Conveyors & transfer stations – stringer and gantry layouts, transfer interfaces, guarding and access
Pump, pipework & slurry systems – skids, manifolds, spool arrangements, supports and maintenance access
Tanks, vessels & sumps – mechanical layout, nozzles, platforms, wear and corrosion allowances
Screens, crushers & feeders interfaces – infeed/outfeed modifications, support framing and maintenance envelopes
Maintenance access & safety systems – platforms, ladders, stairs, handrails, lifting points and handling solutions
General plant layouts – equipment positioning, clearances, access routes and tie-ins to existing plant

If it bolts down, rotates, carries load or moves material, we can help engineer it.

Our design approach

We treat every engagement as a consulting assignment, not just a drafting task. A typical workflow:

Clarify objectives & constraints
- Performance and throughput targets
- Site standards, client specifications and applicable Australian Standards
- Shutdown windows, installation constraints and budget
Capture the existing situation
- Review existing drawings and vendor data
- Undertake site inspections
- Apply 3D LiDAR scanning where high accuracy or complex interfaces are critical
Concept development
- Generate alternative concepts with different risk, cost and complexity profiles
- Workshop options with your team to incorporate operator and maintainer input
- Shortlist a preferred concept for detailed design
Mechanical design & detailing
- 3D modelling of equipment and layouts in SolidWorks
- Connection details, wear areas, load paths and serviceability resolved
- Integration with structures, civils and adjacent plant
Verification & review
- Hand calculations and/or FEA where appropriate for critical components
- Formal design reviews with stakeholders and fabricators
- Buildability, transport and lifting checks
Documentation for fabrication & installation
- Fabrication drawings, BOMs and cutting lists
- GA drawings and layout plans
- Installation notes and mark-ups for site teams

Typical deliverables

When you engage Hamilton By Design for mechanical design and custom equipment layouts, you can expect:

3D models of equipment and plant layouts
Fabrication drawings and detail drawings suitable for workshop use
General arrangement drawings with clear dimensions and interfaces
Bill of materials and component lists
Marked-up layout plans and sections for installers and other disciplines
Supporting calculation packs and technical notes (where required)

Where this service adds value

Our mechanical design & layout services are particularly valuable for:

Brownfield upgrades & debottlenecking
- Fitting new equipment into congested plants
- Resolving recurring blockages, spillage or wear issues
Shutdown-driven projects
- Designing with install sequences and crane/lifting limits in mind
- Reducing surprises on the shutdown critical path
New process lines & plant extensions
- Co-ordinating mechanical, structural and access requirements early
- Avoiding late design clashes and rework
Safety & compliance improvements
- Guarding, access and maintenance improvements
- Bringing legacy equipment up to current standards

Why work with Hamilton By Design?

Engineer-led, not drafter-led – Your layouts are driven by mechanical engineers with hands-on plant experience.
Single-source accountability – From site capture to 3D model to fabrication drawings, you deal with one team.
Brownfield specialists – Comfortable working around existing constraints, legacy drawings and incomplete data.
Fabrication-friendly outputs – We understand workshops and installers; our drawings are prepared with them in mind.

Ready to talk about your next mechanical design or layout change?

Whether you have an early idea, a recurring problem or a confirmed shutdown coming up, we can help you scope, design and document a solution that fits your site and your budget.

Get in touch with Hamilton By Design to discuss your mechanical design & custom equipment layout needs, or explore our other service pages for: