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In brief
In the defence industry, a damaged part on the shop floor is never just scrap: it’s a delay on an armament programme, a documented non-conformity, sometimes a safety incident. Defence industry handling combines high-value loads, strict confidentiality requirements and demanding programme schedules ; an equation manual handling can no longer solve on its own.
Neoditech offers two complementary solutions: the SCARA manipulator arm (PARTS 50 kg / TITAN 100 kg) for precision and insertion work, and the ERGO360° ergonomic positioner for loads up to 200 kg requiring full rotation. In France, this type of investment can be co-funded through the FIPU scheme, covering up to 70% up to €25,000; for sites outside France, our team can point you to the equivalent national schemes.
Our references in the sector: DGA, MBDA, Dassault Aviation, Thales, KNDS.
Why equip your defence workshop with ergonomic handling equipment?
Complex systems, technical sub-assemblies, high-value sensitive components: these parts are handled dozens of times per shift, across assembly, quality control and transfer stages. Every uncontrolled movement is a risk. To the part. To the operator. To the programme.
Zero incidents on high-value, high-sensitivity parts
In defence industry handling, a part damaged on the shop floor isn’t just costly scrap: it’s a delivery delay on an armament programme, a documented non-conformity, sometimes a safety incident. The functional surfaces of defence system components tolerate no uncontrolled contact. Equipment for handling sensitive defence parts, fitted with a gripper custom-designed around the component’s geometry and surface constraints, delivers a firm, controlled grip: no impact, no scratching, a repeatable movement on every cycle. Precision no longer depends on how tired the operator is by the end of the shift.
Address musculoskeletal disorders at the source
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the leading cause of recognised occupational disease in France (Assurance Maladie). In defence workshops, the risk factors stack up: programme-driven schedules, confined spaces (maintenance bays, vehicle interiors, restricted-access zones), and dense, heavy parts handled repeatedly. MSD prevention in the defence industry isn’t optional ; it’s an operational requirement. Depending on your location, occupational health insurers can co-fund part of the investment through their own prevention programmes; our team can help you identify and apply for the scheme relevant to your site.
Workstations open to every profile
A workstation fitted with defence-workshop handling equipment demands no particular physical strength. In a sector where recruitment is tight and workloads have intensified since 2022, that’s a concrete attractiveness lever: women and men, junior and senior operators alike can work long shifts without physical strain. It’s also a visible commitment to occupational health ; one you can showcase directly in your QHSE approach.
Mobility built for defence workshops and hangars
Defence workshops have their own mobility constraints: protected zones, security clearances, configurations that shift with each programme (MRO, series production, maintenance), and sometimes confined or restricted-access spaces. All our solutions can be configured to fit your site constraints:
Electric wheeled base: autonomous movement between assembly or maintenance stations, no external help required, including in zones with restricted circulation
Pallet-truck-moved base: quick, simple repositioning when programmes or production series change, with no changes to the workshop
Floor-mounted base: for permanent, high-throughput stations, offering maximum rigidity and the most repeatable movement
Unlike fixed lifting systems, our equipment requires no permanent infrastructure. As the programme evolves and stations get reorganised, the equipment follows — no construction work, no delay.
Our solutions dedicated to defence industry handling
Two pieces of equipment, two logics of use. Choose based on the load and the operation.
SCARA PARTS manipulator arm
SWL up to
50Kg
The operator guides the movement and positions the part with precision, without carrying its weight. The arm takes the load; the gesture stays comfortable, cycle after cycle.
SCARA TITAN manipulator arm
SWL up to
100Kg
The arm positions the load in the same spot, with the same force, on every cycle ; regardless of how tired the operator is by the end of the shift.
ERGO360°
ergonomic positioner
SWL up to
200Kg
Enables a single operator to hold and inspect heavy loads safely.
SCARA manipulator arm vs ERGO360° ergonomic positioner: the two usage logics in defence
| Equipment | SWL | Primary use |
|---|---|---|
| SCARA manipulator arm | 50 or 100 kg versions at 2 m reach | Precision operations, insertion and precision positioning, handling of high-value components, assembly of complex systems |
| ERGO360° ergonomic positioner° | Up to 200 kg | Inspection, deburring, assembly requiring full rotation of the component at any angle |
Request a free workstation audit
Our sales engineers visit your workshop, analyse your constraints, and propose the appropriate configuration. Request a free workstation audit
Real-world applications in your defence workshops
Funding: reduce your investment with UK tax relief
In France, the FIPU scheme (Fonds d’Investissement dans la Prévention de l’Usure professionnelle) covers up to 70% of your investment, capped at €25,000.
It applies to equipment designed to reduce exposure to ergonomic risk ; including the manipulator arms and positioners used in the defence industry ; for companies operating under the general French social security scheme.
French occupational health insurers (CARSAT) also offer “Prévention TPE” grants and prevention contracts for companies investing in reducing physical strain.
If your site is based outside France, funding rules differ by country. Our team can help you identify the equivalent scheme where you operate, and works with clients across Europe to build the funding case alongside the technical one.
Why Neoditech?
Why choose Neoditech for your defence industry projects?
Neoditech is both designer and manufacturer. Every solution is designed, manufactured, and installed in our workshops in Mouzillon, Loire-Atlantique. Our in-house engineering team designs the gripper adapted to your specific component: geometry, material, surface constraints, safety requirements. Not a standard gripper – a tool conceived for your component, tested under real conditions before delivery.
Our references in the defence industry: DGA, MBDA, Dassault Aviation, Thales, KNDS, Roxel, Arquus, Naval Group. These industrial clients have rigorous processes, strict confidentiality requirements, and precise technical specifications. We are accustomed to this. Our teams work in your workshops with discretion, adapting to your site constraints (security clearances, protected zones, restricted access, production schedules) and providing complete documentation for internal validation. Our equipment has no network connectivity and no embedded intelligence: it generates no outgoing data flows, which simplifies integration in sensitive zones.
What this means in practice:
Free on-site workstation analysis, with no commitment
Custom gripper design by our in-house engineering team
Manufactured in France, with controlled lead times
Installation in a few hours, operator training on site
CE marking, compliance with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
No network connectivity, no outgoing data flows
Request a free workstation analysis
What our handling solutions do not cover
Loads above 200 kg: beyond the SWL of the ERGO360° ergonomic positioner, an overhead crane or a dedicated lifting system is more appropriate.
Full automation without an operator: our equipment is designed for the operator who remains at the heart of the process. If the objective is an autonomous line with no human intervention, a robotics integrator will be better suited.
Long-distance transfers: a manipulator arm works within a defined radius. For transfers of several tens of metres, a conveyor or an AGV is more appropriate.
Yes, subject to authorisation from the site manager. Neoditech equipment consists of mechanical devices with no network connectivity and no embedded intelligence. They generate no outgoing data flows and do not require access to classified information systems. Their integration in protected zones is documented and traceable. A prior workstation analysis validates compliance with the site’s specific requirements.
The decisive criterion is the operation, not the load alone. The SCARA is designed for precision and insertion movements: positioning a component within a system, handling a high-value part with a controlled and repeatable trajectory. The ERGO360° is designed for operations where the component must be held in position and oriented at any angle: 360° visual inspection, deburring, assembly of heavy sub-assemblies (100 to 200 kg). Both can coexist in the same workshop according to the production phase.
Yes. Our equipment consists of mechanical systems with no embedded intelligence. They do not generate autonomous data. Operation traceability remains under the control of your internal information system. We provide complete technical documentation (CE marking, compliance with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, technical file) for validation by your quality and safety teams.
Installation takes a few hours for the vast majority of configurations. A prior workstation analysis prepares the integration in advance, including the access and clearance constraints specific to your site. The equipment is delivered configured and ready to use. Operator training is carried out on site during installation.
Two HMRC mechanisms apply in the United Kingdom. The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) lets businesses deduct 100% of qualifying plant and machinery costs up to £1 million in the year of purchase – applicable to all business structures. Full Expensing gives companies 100% first-year relief on new, unused equipment with no upper cap. Both apply to SCARA manipulator arms and ERGO360° positioners. Claim through your standard corporation tax or self-assessment return. Source: gov.uk/capital-allowances.
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Conclusion: take action
Handling in the defence industry does not have to remain a source of MSDs and quality incidents. The equipment exists, and so does the funding. Our sales engineers visit your workshop free of charge to analyse your workstations and propose the appropriate solution, with no commitment.
Read the testimonials of our customers who have transformed their businesses thanks to our solutions. Improved productivity, optimized mobility: their success is now yours.
Your defence industry handling partner
At Neoditech, we place ergonomics, innovation, and safety at the heart of our solutions to improve your processes while preserving the health and comfort of your operators. Ergonomics and productivity do not conflict: they reinforce each other. This is what we have demonstrated since 2007, workshop by workshop, in France and across Europe.
Designer AND manufacturer
Our in-house design office creates a gripper tailored to each aerospace part. Our teams visit your workshop or hangar to assess your workstation before proposing anything. We cover the entire project from start to finish.
Customers supported in France and Europe
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Manipulators sold in France and elsewhere
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