Fixed path: Custom vertical reciprocating conveyor lifts 50-foot-long materials

Sea Ray Boats is one of the top global brands in fresh and saltwater boating, and builds four different classes of boats comprised of 38 different models. At its Palm Coast, Fla., manufacturing facility, molds are stored for models ranging from 38 to 51 feet in length and widths from 12 to 15 feet. After installing a vertical reciprocating conveyor (VRC), the company was able to double storage space for the fiberglass mold dollies.

Molds are constantly moved in and out of storage throughout each day. Before the storage upgrade, the mold dollies were rolled outside for storage in various areas surrounding the plant. The molds were durable enough to withstand the weather, but the practice impaired efficiency, productivity, safety and general organization.

At an early stage in the design of the improved storage project, it was determined that a clear span mezzanine would effectively double the available space for storage in the facility. The larger challenge was to develop a reliable, safe and effective means to regularly transport the different sized molds between the ground floor and the mezzanine. The company selected the supplier’s four-post model, which features the greatest lifting capacity and largest carriage sizes.

Custom built for a capacity of 5,000 pounds, the lift includes a 24-foot-wide by 16-foot-deep lift carriage whose entry points on each level required an unusually wide clearance. Such a large opening was not conducive to the standard sliding, vertical acting or swing gates typically used on VRCs. Instead, the supplier designed a motorized coiling steel, roll-up door with a special door frame design.

“We are extremely happy with the operation of the lift and we have been running it with absolutely no problems,” says Roy Whitaker, Sea Ray senior process engineer in Palm Coast. “We will soon be moving from manufacturing six models to 11, so it could not have been a better choice for a capital expenditure.”

Pflow Industries
414-352-9000
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