It's such a small thing that we had to take out the Canon Macro 100mm / F2.8 lens to make the detail visible. This is the result of a long discussion with the chief welder who was responsible for the final production batch of Westlander and Scotsman locomotives.
The discussion started with the latest generation dual-channel cable clips, those that allow the use of entire sheaths without interruptions to minimize cable contamination in adverse conditions.
These cable clips normally have two free sides (for the passage of the strap) while the other two sides have a tiny weld bead that secures the cable clip to the frame. So in fact were the prototypes.
Then came our e-mail asking the head welder to eliminate the two weld seams in favor of only four microscopic welding points at the four vertices of the sheath.
The reason for our request was clear: reducing the welding to a minimum means reducing the 'heated' area of ​​the tube, increasing the strength and reliability of the frame since the heat caused by the welding degrades the mechanical characteristics.
He replied a little surprised that no one had asked him for such a thing before, even if technically this solution makes sense and that it could be done.
So here is the welding after the modification (left photo): the heated area is reduced to less than half, increasing the reliability of the tubes and the resistance compared to the traditional seam (right photo).
This is a real small thing but this too is a sign of how much nothing in a project should be taken for granted if you want to achieve an objective of uncommon quality, not even the welding of the cable clips.