Used machine + your project = our engineering job. You found the base machine — we study the adaptation in 5 business days, we design the bespoke parts, we coordinate the metalwork and the assembly workshop, we run the functional tests. No new builds. No salesy claims. If it can't be done, we tell you straight in 5 days.
We adapt second-hand machines to specific projects. We do not manufacture new equipment — we make smart re-use possible.
Fixed-fee feasibility study (€450 to €1 200) in 3 to 5 business days. Yes, no, or yes-but. If it cannot be done, we say so on day 5 — no sunk-cost trap.
We design the bespoke parts (CAD + FEM calculations), then we pilot the manufacturing through our metalwork partners and the final assembly through our workshop network. We orchestrate — we do not own the workshop.
Functional tests on a real load case, structural calculation notes and the documentary file your project needs to commission the machine on site. CE marking re-certification is not part of the current scope.
Putting boundaries up-front saves everyone time.
We do not manufacture machines from scratch. We start from a real second-hand machine that you already have or that you found on Heavy Buddy.
If the machine just needs an overhaul, that is the Refurbishment service, not Engineering. Engineering is for structural or functional adaptation — not for bringing a machine back to as-was condition.
We only study adaptations that have a direct, traceable impact on an identified machine for an identified project. No abstract feasibility reports for the drawer.
When the adaptation cost gets too high compared to a more suitable used machine — or a new one — we tell you and we orient you to the alternative. We do not push studies that are not in your interest.
Each step has a fixed deliverable, a clear timeline, and a no-surprise price.
Rail-road excavators are everywhere on the used market — we don't compete on that. We do the things no one else will touch.
Catenary maintenance rigs, aerial work platforms, drill arms, concrete pumps, anything that has to ride on a flat-wagon and operate from it. Structural mount, hydraulic interface, controls relay, safety lock-down.
Concrete mixer trucks adapted to operate on track. Suspension, mixing drum hydraulics, rail-mode throttling, pour control compatible with rail clearance.
Aerial work platforms adapted for catenary or tunnel work — extended reach, insulated working area, anti-overturn for narrow rail base, integrated rail-mode locking.
Tunnel boring drill heads, sleeper drilling rigs, ballast probing — wagon-mounted with the right hydraulic supply, the right reach geometry and the right rail-load distribution.
Cabin raise for ultra-dense urban sites, extended boom for restricted access, narrow undercarriage for tunnel work, reinforced chassis for atypical loads.
When the OEM catalogue has nothing for your case — we design, source the metalwork and have the part mounted and tested on the actual machine.
Three blocks, three quotes. No hidden cost discovered halfway through.
Fixed fee, depending on machine complexity. Non-refundable — the work is done either way. We brief you before signing to make sure your project is worth studying.
Quoted once the feasibility is positive. CAD plans, FEM calculations, technical file, structural calculation notes, commissioning documentary file.
Itemised by sub-system. Metalwork partners (bespoke parts) + workshop assembly + functional tests on a real load case.
Heavy Buddy margin: 50% transparent on the full engineering quote. Yes — it is higher than our 15% on logistics and refurbishment. Engineering is a different beast: deep expertise on the second-hand market and the bespoke adaptation, design liability, ten years of iterations on heavy construction and railway machinery, plus the time we spend telling clients no when their project is not viable. Nobody else does this for used machines at our level. Always shown on the quote — no hidden cut.
Escrow by phases. 30% on quote acceptance (study kick-off), 40% on study delivery and acceptance of the build plan, 30% on final tests and delivery. The whole amount is held by an independent escrow agent throughout — never directly by Heavy Buddy.
Pre-engagement advisory is free. Before you sign anything, we talk it through and tell you honestly if your project is worth a paid feasibility study. We do not bill for studies on projects that obviously cannot lead anywhere — and we do not start studies that we know will end in "no".
Concrete documentary file — what your project needs to put the machine in service. No fluff, no PowerPoint.
Note on CE re-certification: formal CE marking re-certification (declaration of conformity signed by an authorised body) and railway authority approval (EPSF, EBA, ORR…) are not part of the current scope. We provide the underlying calculation notes and the documentary substance — your project's responsible person uses them with the certification body you already work with.
In-house team led by Titouan + a curated network of certified partner firms.
In-house team: Titouan (Technical Director, civil and mechanical background, 10+ years on international heavy construction projects) supervises every project. For demanding cases we partner with certified external engineering firms.
Certification criteria for partner engineering firms:
Public profile + ranking for external firms — same philosophy as our workshops and carriers: Heavy Buddy hides nothing from the client. You see who designed your modification.
Indicative ranges. We confirm exact dates on the full quote.
What is covered, for how long, and under what conditions.
Who owns the plans and the calculations.
The client owns the technical file, plans and calculations of the modification we performed. You can take them to another workshop, share them with your maintenance team, archive them.
Standard components from the Heavy Buddy reusable catalogue (rail-road kit reference designs, control modules, signalling presets) remain our intellectual property and are licensed to you for the lifetime of the machine.
Tell us about the base machine and the target use case. We'll talk it through before you sign anything — and only start a paid feasibility if it makes sense. Verdict in 3 to 5 business days, fixed fee, no fluff.
Request an engineering studyJoin the Heavy Buddy certified engineering partner network. Recurring pipeline of certified modification projects, escrow-protected payments and a public profile on the platform.