Expertise
From Concept to Reality
Since 1989, Fantastic Motors has brought together in Chabeuil, in the Drôme region of France, the expertise required to transform a specific need into a fully operational mechanism.
Mechanical engineering, motorisation, automation, programming, manufacturing and testing all come together within a single project.
Understanding the Requirements
Before starting the design process, we seek to establish exactly what the mechanism must do and under what conditions it will operate.
For a rotating platform, for example, a few key considerations can significantly influence the solution: indoor or outdoor installation, dimensions and loads, frequency of use, presence of the public, occasional operation or intensive use in a showroom, continuous rotation or automated sequences for photography.
This analysis allows us to define the required functions before selecting the appropriate mechanism.
Finding the Right Solution
Rotation, linear motion, lifting, oscillation or a combination of several movements: the same function can often be achieved in different ways.
Turntable, rotating platform, direct or remote drive, linear motion, onboard or external motorisation: we compare the possible configurations before selecting the one best suited to the project.
Designing
Our engineering department handles mechanical design, sizing and the selection of motors, transmissions, sensors and control systems.
When required, we also develop our own automation systems and control software in-house, incorporating intelligent and self-adaptive functions, as well as communication and monitoring systems aligned with Industry 4.0 principles.
For example, our automated automotive photography software continuously adjusts the motion control parameters according to the platform’s behaviour and the load it carries. This optimises positioning times and ensures smooth stops, without any intervention or adjustment by the user.
Safety is an integral part of our design process. On our rotating platforms accessible to the public, the gap between the stationary and rotating sections is carefully calibrated. Combined with our mechanical safety disengagement system, this allows people to move about on the platform while it rotates, in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which will be replaced on 20 January 2027 by the European Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230.
The mechanical design, control system and intended use are therefore considered as a whole.
Manufacturing
Design and manufacturing remain closely connected.
At our workshop in Chabeuil, we have the production facilities required to carry out the main manufacturing operations for our mechanisms in-house.
Our machinery includes CNC lathes and machining centres, conventional machine tools, a MIG, MAG and TIG welding workshop, as well as presses for cutting and stamping operations.
A 6.3-tonne overhead crane allows us to handle our largest assemblies.
We also carry out assembly, motor installation, wiring and final adjustments in our workshops, with a dedicated testing platform.
The close proximity between our engineering department and workshop allows us to continuously confront design decisions with the practical realities of manufacturing.
La proximité immédiate entre le bureau d’études et l’atelier permet de confronter en permanence la conception à la réalité de la fabrication.
Inspection and Testing
Before delivery, our mechanisms are assembled and tested in our workshops.
We check their operation, movements, controls and sequences under conditions that can be reproduced before final installation.
And when testing a rotating platform for vehicles, this may also involve getting into a car and enjoying a few rotations while comfortably seated inside. It is a test we always carry out with pleasure.
From mechanical engineering to programming, from manufacturing to testing, we bring together the expertise required to bring motion to life.