Hansen Mechanical is a fabricator of pipes used in construction projects. Many of these pipe assemblies weighed upwards of 3800lbs and were shaped awkwardly. The pipe needed to be moved through the fabrication process from rolling the ends to completed welded assemblies. The workers were moving the product from work cell to work cell after each stage in production. Because of the weight and size of the product, forklifts were needed at each and every stage of production. Not only was this extremely risky from a safety and ergonomics standpoint, but it also considerably slowed production.
Hansen knew they needed to address these issues and consulted with Fred Volkmann of Precision Crane & Hoist for advice on the best Gorbel product for the job. Originally, they looked into a jib crane for the solution to their production problems but when Fred looked deeper into their manufacturing processes, he realized that the best product for their production operation was a Free Standing Work Station Crane from Gorbel.
The new crane system would address all of their production needs and help to move the product safely and efficiently through each work cell stage from start to finish. A jib crane would only cover a part of the area and forklifts would still have to be brought in throughout the production process. After seeing what they needed to do, it was determined the freestanding crane system was the best product for the operation. The company installed a freestanding 2 ton bridge crane system with two bridges because it maneuvered easier and was much safer in that operation. The span was 26’ with a 16’ lifting height and the system is 118’ long.