Background
Just In Time CNC Machining, Inc. was relocating to a new facility and looking for a lifting solution that would be flexible as the company continued to grow. The materials processed here range from large productions runs to smaller runs or prototypes, which means they handle a wide variety of size and weight. Due to the layout of the facility, Just In Time (JIT) was looking for one crane system that would service several CNC machines and the full selection of products without interfering with the current flow of materials.
The Problem
The building they were moving into was leased, and ceilings were very high, which made the application less suitable for a ceiling mounted system. The location of building columns, CNC machines and loading bays provided plenty of obstacles to work around, and made fitting one floor supported crane system into the facility a significant challenge.
The Solution
IT purchased a Gorbel freestanding work station crane with three 23-foot long, 1000 pound capacity aluminum bridges. The supports for the system were staggered to allow the system’s 124’ runways to cover the length of the building and remain centered over each of the area’s CNC machines and work bays. The system included extra long headers to help the positioning of the support columns, which were placed behind, beside and in between existing obstacles. The last support header was shorter than the rest with the runway track cantilevered. By making the track cantilever off of a column that was inside the runways, a wide open path to the loading bays could be maintained for fork lift traffic.