Beyond the labs: Cambridge's engineering side
Cambridge is known for its science, but its airport edge is industrial. Barnwell Business Park sits next to Cambridge Airport, where Marshall's aerospace arm is based, and a Greater Cambridge study of industrial space needs lists Volac International, Histon Sweet Spreads and Adcock Refrigeration among the larger employers. Cambridge Science Park has been running since 1970 and has over 100 occupiers across 1.65 million sq ft of space.
Firms like these buy fabrication for rigs, plant and building services as much as for products. We work from drawings, with coded MIG, TIG and MMA welders and TIG on stainless steel and aluminium in a separate area from carbon steel. Quotes are itemised and arrive within 24 hours in the working week, the lead time is written down, and invoices run against your purchase order. We serve commercial and trade buyers only.
What Cambridge buyers send out
- Aerospace and airport-side engineering Barnwell and the airport host aviation and engineering firms. They order ground-support frames, tooling stands, test rigs and enclosures, some in aluminium or stainless TIG.
- Food and refrigeration producers Volac, Histon Sweet Spreads and Adcock Refrigeration are the kind of employers that need stainless platforms, guards, plant frames and refrigeration plant supports.
- Science and technology campuses Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge Business Park and Cambourne Park hold labs and plant rooms that need roof platforms, plant enclosures, screens and escape stairs as supply-only steel.
- Contractors on new commercial schemes Builders around Cambridge order canopies, steel stairs, walkways and balustrades to drawing, finished in RAL paint, powder coat or hot-dip galvanised, for their own installers to fix.
Bigger jobs for Cambridge firms
Larger orders in this market tend to be technical rather than high volume: sets of 10 to 30 rig frames or equipment skids, acoustic and ventilated enclosures for generators and plant, lifting frames, and walkways with handrails for plant roofs. Structural elements go through BS EN 1090 factory production control and can be supplied UKCA or CE marked. Aluminium and stainless parts are TIG welded by coded welders. Finishes include powder coat, RAL wet spray and hot-dip galvanising, which we arrange.
Containers for Cambridge compounds
Containers suit contractor compounds, plant stores and temporary labs around new building schemes. We frame structural openings into the rails, fit doors, windows and roller shutters, and link or stack units. We repair and repaint boxes you already own, and cut units down to a shorter length. You can supply the unit or we source it. Recent units cost about £3,400 to £6,800 each net of VAT. See container modifications.
Precision frames and enclosures
Cambridge buyers tend to specify closely, so we work from your drawing and price material, cutting, welding and finish as separate lines. We cut with plasma and bend in-house, with laser-cut parts from suppliers. Common requests are steel enclosures with acoustic or ventilation detail, machine bases, skids, and supply-only stairs and fire escapes. Coded welders work to the drawing's tolerances, and BS EN 1090 control covers structural pieces. See steel enclosures.
Cambridge parks and estates
Barnwell Business Park, beside the airport, is the main industrial warehouse park. Cambridge Business Park holds twelve office and technology buildings of 325,000 sq ft, while Cambridge Science Park is 1.65 million sq ft. Cambourne Park covers 50 acres and Bar Hill Business Park lies north-west of the city. Beadle Industrial Estate, Clifton Road Industrial Estate and Dales Manor Business Park at Sawston, seven miles south, round out the list.
Why a Bedford workshop can cost Cambridge less
Cutting, welding, finishing and checking all happen in our own 12,000 sq ft workshop, so no stage is passed to a subcontractor with its own margin. Delivery to Cambridge goes through our logistics partners and shows as its own line on the quote. Put the two together and the total often comes in below a local fabricator, which is easy to check: send us the same drawing you've sent them.
Delivery and site visits in Cambridge
Cambridge is 37 road miles from Marston Moretaine, about 63 minutes by car, using the A421 and the A603. Drive times are by car, and a loaded lorry takes longer, especially into the city at peak times. We organise delivery through our logistics partners and agree the day with you. Fabricating in-house often leaves our price lower than local fabricators.
Our engineers visit the Cambridge site to see the job. City-edge sites can mean narrow gates, weight limits and timed access, so tell us about these before delivery is booked. Say what lifting there is on site and we agree the drop with you. Your own installer positions and fixes the steel. We fabricate to drawing and do not install on site.
How a job runs
- 01.Send the drawing
PDF or CAD, a dimensioned sketch, or a photo of the old part. Quantities and the site postcode help.
- 02.Itemised quote in 24 hours
Material, fabrication, finish and haulage broken out line by line, with the lead time confirmed in writing.
- 03.Agree spec and finish
Sections, tolerances, weld spec and finish confirmed before anything is cut.
- 04.Fabricated inside our unit
Cut, welded and assembled by coded welders in our 12,000 sq ft Marston Moretaine workshop.
- 05.Check and paperwork
Dimensionally checked before dispatch; welder qualification and mill certificates on request.
- 06.Delivered to site
We organise delivery to your site through our logistics partners, or you can collect from the yard if that suits. One-offs and batches both welcome.
Work we take on
- Container modifications: conversions and modifications to drawing, single units or batches
- Structural openings: side openings, doors, roller shutters, linking and cut-downs
- Container repairs: panel, door and rail repairs and repaints for depots and fleets
- Steel enclosures: generator, acoustic, plant and battery housings
- Skids and frames: skids, machine bases, lifting frames and supports
- Commercial fabrication: fabrication to drawing, structural steelwork, one-offs and batches
- Stairs and fire escapes: supplied ready for your installer to fit
- Walkways and railings: handrails, platforms and ladders, supplied to fit
Frequently asked questions
Can you TIG weld aluminium for a Cambridge engineering firm?
Yes. Coded TIG welders work aluminium and stainless steel in their own area, kept apart from carbon steel. Send the drawing and finish, and the quote shows material and welding as separate lines.
Do you deliver to Cambridge?
Yes. We organise delivery through our logistics partners, 37 road miles via the A421 and A603, about 63 minutes by car. A loaded lorry takes longer, and our engineers can visit the site first to measure up.
Is BS EN 1090 marking available for Cambridge building projects?
Structural steelwork can be supplied UKCA or CE marked under our BS EN 1090 factory production control. Say at quote stage which marking and execution class the project specifies.
Do you work with contractors who keep a Cambridge compound?
Yes, with commercial and trade buyers. Contractors order converted containers, stairs and canopies to drawing, and their own installers fit them. We supply the steel and do not install.
Nearby areas
We also quote for firms in Huntingdon, St Neots, Hitchin, Stevenage and Bury St Edmunds. See every town on the areas we serve page.