Background
When John Morley decided to open Regal Granite & Marble in 2004, he did his homework first. He selected top raw material providers, chose his location carefully, and researched his equipment purchases. Having been in the industry for many years prior to opening his own business, he was aware of the risks associated with handling the heavy, fragile material, and wanted to minimize the risk.
The Problem
When the full slabs are brought into the shop, they are first cut on the saw, and then moved by crane to the CNC machine. Later, it is picked up again and put onto a cart to be finished. With the multiple movements of a single piece, John evaluated the risk of moving the material by hand.
The Solution
He purchased a freestanding Gorbel work station crane with a 2000 pound capacity aluminum bridge to cover the work cell and service both machines. Along with the Gorbel crane, Morley purchased a hoist with suction cup tooling to grip the slabs.