Work station cranes avoid jogging
By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 9/15/1999
Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. (MEC) had recently opened a $13.2 million facility in Beaver Dam, Wisc. to expand their Aerial Work Platform Division.At the original plant, a bottleneck in the manufacturing process held up beam assembly of the scissors portion of the lifts. MEC was using motorized I-beam cranes with electric hoists to position the beams, but crane operators couldn't achieve the precision needed in beam placement. In addition, assemblers often had to wait for the motorized crane before they could complete their part of the process.
MEC decided to install free standing work station cranes in the assembly and welding operations. The cranes allow operators to move a variety of materials with ease while saving both time and work space. Operators easily "glide" parts into place, rather than trying to cope with the hoist-jogging of a motorized crane.
"We are able to align the beams easier to give us a good fit," says Dan Frost, Assembly Manager. The change to work station cranes not only made things easier; it also speeded up the assembly process, boosting productivity to significantly higher levels.
Free standing work station bridge cranes are built for smooth operation. The hoist trolleys are designed for effortless movement along the bridge. Wheels are tapered to match the taper of the tracks, reducing rolling resistance and wheel wear. Two horizontal wheels center each end truck within the runway, which prevents binding of the bridge. As a result, the position of the load on the bridge has little effect on the amount of force needed to move the bridge along the runway.
Gorbel
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