Who Manufactures Equipment for the Manufacturers?
Every large, complex product requires an equally complex design around the manufacturing of the said product. This is where Handling Specialty’s slogan: “We build big things so our customers can build big things,” really fleshes out what they specialize in. Supplying custom material handling equipment for industries like aerospace, entertainment, automotive, energy, rail and transportation, steel, mining and advanced manufacturing, the technical sales group, design and engineering department and world-class manufacturing team consult, imagine and build the equipment, which allows manufacturers the ability to build their products safely, ergonomically and efficiently.
Automation plays a big role in many assembly processes, from AGVs with customized tooling moving product through the line to massive personnel lifts pre-programmed to position technicians ergonomically around the product with sliding bridges and whatever other accessory is considered essential during the discovery stage.
Much of Handling Specialty’s portfolio is focused on the assembly of the above-mentioned industries’ products. An example of this is a job which required two custom personnel lifts, installed in Grove City, PA. and used by technicians to assemble large locomotive engines. Each lift was rated to hold 4000 lbs, travel 75 vertical inches and include six sliding bridges for precise positioning.
An example of ergonomically moving products from one workstation to another is the design of a component installation carrier, or MGV (Manually Guided Vehicle), which is used to install components into locomotives and coaches in the company’s Sacramento, CA, operations. Rated to hold 5000 lbs, and operate on the shop floor with a 33” vertical travel, 360-degree moveable table top and a handheld pendant for operating, this robust MGV was the perfect solution for the company’s application.
Another example of easily moving products from one end of a facility to another was realized for a rail company that needed to move castings and manufactured products from the fabrication area into an inspection bay. The MGV was designed to a specific size in order to navigate the facility and deliver the product while managing a 14,000 lb carrying capacity across 60 feet of travel several times per 8-hour work day. Emergency stops and safety sensors assist in preventing accidents. A wireless remote controls the unit, which is capable of zero-radius turning, forward and reverse travel.
These are just some examples of how Handling Specialty works with our customers, engineering solutions for their manufacturing and assembly applications. These instances relate to the Rail industry, where hundreds more represent the other major industries Handling builds for.
For more on how Handling Specialty can improve your manufacturing processes, contact our sales manager
