Converting raw steel into finished products is a tough, drawn out operation that puts materials handling equipment to the ultimate test. Just ask W. Fergus Porter, president of Connecticut Steel Corporation (CSC) of Wallingford, Conn.

The company receives more than 1,000 tons of steel billets daily, and converts them into rods, wire and wire mesh in its 178,000 square foot plant. With the steel in so many different shapes -billets, rods, coils and mesh rolls - CSC uses a combination of overhead cranes, conveyors and lift trucks to move loads around the plant and to the shipping yard.

Of the 300,000 tons of steel that CSC converts annually, about two-thirds becomes wire rod and is taken by fork trucks directly to indoor or outdoor storage for shipping. The other third is transferred via conveyors and fork trucks to machines that further process the wire into welded wire reinforcements and coiled rebar. Cranes are used to stage steel before processing.

As Porter explains, the handling equipment is matched to the specific task to minimize the amount of labor required while maintaining the flow of materials through the plant. And materials flow is critical as 50 tons of finished product comes off the rolling mill each hour.

As expected, such a rugged, round-the-clock environment takes its toll on handling equipment, especially the lift trucks. Dedicating trucks to either indoor or outdoor use is one way CSC maximizes the life of its vehicles. The plant also leases its 23-vehicle fleet to ensure a constant supply of reliably operating trucks.

At the receiving docks, the 30-foot long steel billets are handled by two radio frequency controlled overhead bridge cranes that move the steel to a staging area. The cranes cover the entire staging area, eliminating the need for fork trucks while maximizing space, according to Porter. In addition, 'the radio frequency controls give us more flexibility because the operator is free to move about the staging area,' adds Porter.

When it comes to moving work-in-process safely and efficiently between various processing stations, conveyors are best matched to the job, says Porter. Chain conveyors deliver steel to the plant's furnace and rolling mill stations. Meanwhile, roller conveyors carry bundles of rolled wire to the welding machines and shipping yard.

Conveyors leading directly to docks allow indoor fork trucks to deliver wire to the shipping yard without leaving the building, says Porter. 'Keeping our fork trucks operating in an indoor or outdoor climate only extends the life of our trucks,' Porter adds. Moreover, the bundles of wire mesh can be queued on the conveyors instead of using additional storage space and tying up lift truck drivers unnecessarily.

Fork trucks with 6,000-, 10,000-and 15,500-pound capacities (Toyota Industrial Equipment, 800-226-0009, www.toyotaforklift.com) carry wire rod to and from the rolling mill and mesh machines. For wire that is processed into reinforcement products, a 15,500-pound capacity fork truck with a clamp attachment is used. This special attachment allows the truck to grasp and rotate the wire coils and place them into machines that straighten and cut the wire.

Also, four 18,000-pound capacity fork trucks are utilized for loading finished product onto over-the-road trucks in the shipping yard. Not only do these trucks load substantial quantities of wire products, they withstand the abuse of operating in a gravel yard with seasonal potholes and wire debris.

In addition to matching vehicles to their operating environments, CSC gets the most life out of its fork trucks by leasing them. 'With all of our trucks on two- to three-year contracts as well as spare trucks available, we get the reliability we need and that's essential since one unreliable truck can significantly affect our production,' says Porter.

To produce all of the wire rod CSC's customers request, the plant must be able to move items around reliably and quickly, according to Porter. 'The key to our process is communication and materials handling equipment to create the right flow of products.'