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Our expertise

Design

SOFRAME conception

Soframe develops human and technical expertise which is constantly adapting to the latest technologies. 

 

Designing solutions involves a harmonised sharing of resources and skills for the implementation of systems engineering. Our tactical and logistics vehicle solutions are considered as systems in their own right, acting with a “system of systems” environment.

 

The project platform enables our experts to agree on the needs expressed, the development of the product, production capacity, in service support and end-of-life recycling. 

 

Whether in terms of innovation, development or adaptation, design is based mainly on: 

The technical hub:

  • It designs and develops each product, ensures its maintainability and drafts the related documentation.
  • It takes into account the production capacities right from the development phase.
  • It conducts industrial validation and technical qualification via the development, monitoring and implementation of prototypes and first of series.
  • It correlates the results of the calculation department with the measurements made during the dynamic tests.

The calculation and simulation department:

  • It models the structures in finite elements.
  • It anticipates the behaviours of the structures by simulation, particularly the fatigue and the ballistic, anti-blast and anti-mine resistance of the vehicles, bodies and cabs developed.
  • It analyses the consequences of product definition developments after their industrialisation. 
  • It calculates the resistance of the structures according to the life profiles of the equipment.

Production

The LOHR industrial tool is organised around five procedures centres: cutting, mechanical, welding, paint and assembly.

Cutting

The cutting centre is dedicated to cutting and folding the steel sheets. 

 

It is focused around: 

  • laser cutting machines of different capacities,
  • folding machines whose tonnages range from 85 tonnes to 1300 tonnes. 

 

This activity is supplemented by drawing, sawing and bending operations. 

Mechanical

The mechanical centre machines the individual or series production components. 

 

For this purpose it uses CNC turning and milling machines.

Welding

The welding centre assembles and welds the primary parts to make the finished products. 

 

It comprises assembly workstations focusing on templates to ensure the repeatability of the process in terms of quality and productivity. 

 

Implementation is highly robotised, offering great flexibility and high-performance welding whilst controlling the deformation of the manufactured elements and the tool operating times.

Paint

The paint centre is designed to apply surface protection to the primary components, subassemblies and complete vehicles. 

 

It is configured to treat:

  • unit production in manual booths,
  • mass production via a semi-automatic production line. 

Assembly

The assembly centre performs the final assembly of our products. 

 

It is organised around different sectors: 

 

  • The production of subassemblies (mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic, bonding);
  • The integration of subassemblies on the assembly lines by product line; 
  • Assembly lines organised according to lean manufacturing principles integrating digital production management tools (Manufacturing Execution System);
  • Workstations allowing personalisation and production of tailor-made products in the form of unit products or mini-series, on fixed workstations or on the production line.
  • The final integration of the mobile tactical and logistics systems.

Tests

Whether for research and development or for the qualification of vehicle systems in compliance with specific standards, Soframe is able to perform all the tests required with the appropriate resources.

Industrial validations and qualifications:

 

The development of military rolling stock requires the validation and justification of their technical characteristics.

To do so, we use normalised test tracks with appropriate equipment:

  • Road tracks, 
  • Special tracks,  
  • All-terrain tracks, 
  • Obstacles.

We test, among other things:

  • Proper functioning in extreme weather conditions,
  • Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC),
  • Acoustics,
  • Vibrations,
  • The various kinematic systems.
SOFRAME tests

Protection tests

Armour is our core business. Particular attention is devoted to the characterisation of protection solutions by means of explicit digital simulations aiming to optimise the sizing of the structures with regard to the multiple, diverse threats. To do so, we have developed and validated our own calculation models.

 

This characterisation is followed by physical tests which are performed in approved centres in France and abroad.

 

The tests concern, in particular, the resistance of our vehicles to:

 

  • Projectiles of all calibres,
  • Mines (blast and fragmentation),
  • Improvised explosive devices and/or fragmentation,
  • Incendiary mixtures,
  • NRBC (Nuclear, Radiological, Biological or Chemical) threats,
  • Various mechanical attacks.
Impact
Door test
Mines