Picture this: the fast-paced world of automotive manufacturing, where every second counts and every breakdown feels like a speed bump on the road to success. But what if there was a solution to smooth out those bumps and keep the wheels turning seamlessly? Enter Service Crane Company, the guiding light of reliability in a landscape of challenges.
A manufacturer of metal body parts, chassis parts, and plastic injection parts for automotive companies had been contacting Service Crane Company regularly for service.
Their cranes were in various states of repair/disrepair based on the type and frequency of use. Some cranes were in good shape, but the hoists were worn out. Some of the lesser used hoists were in good condition, but still utilized outdated eddy current brakes.
The customer was also encountering issues with their electrification because of age and environmental factors. Other cranes were completely worn out, but the large box girders with service platforms were good.
This long-term project worked toward many different objectives, aiming to best serve their specific needs.
When it came to replacing the troublesome old equipment with three completely new cranes, this was not an overnight improvement. Service Crane Company worked with this customer for a long time, performing upgrades over several years.
The customer had three cranes in one bay, so over the course of several years, we removed the bridges one at a time, brought them into our shop, stripped the girders, and either replaced or repaired the end trucks, upgraded the controls, and repaired or replaced the hoists.
In the cases where the hoists were worn out, we upgraded them with robust replacements to keep up with the production demands.
Service Crane performed several upgrades to the brakes, motors, and control systems on the units which had the outdated eddy current brakes.
After the cranes had been taken down, tended to, and put back up, and put back to use, through ongoing inspections, our crew opened up a new discussion with Tom, one of their maintenance managers; noting wearing on the newly repaired bridge. The Service Crane team concluded that the customer’s employees were taking the trolley from one side to the other without stopping, running it into the end stops and wearing down the trolley rail. From there, it was decided to add safety limits so that once they get over so far to the side, the equipment automatically starts slowing down and it doesn’t allow them to crash into the end stops, which, per one of their maintenance managers, “has saved us a lot of wear and tear (on the rail and wheels.)”
Through our inspections, our crew noticed that their electrification was degrading; Clips were breaking, causing sections of the rail to fail. The Service Crane team was able to work weekends when production was down to then upgrade the electrification by replacing it with new and installing a ground bar to bring it up to code.
Service Crane recognized the need to address challenges head-on, providing more than equipment – rather, equipment that provided a tailored, durable solution.
With high production demands on the aging equipment, there was limited time to repair the existing crane systems, hoists, and runway electrification.
Navigating the intricate balance of budget considerations, Service Crane ensures every penny invested translated into a robust, cost-effective solution for our client.
As a team, we decided that the woes of constant repairs were a thing of the past, and we, Service Crane Company, understood the sticker shock dilemma of installing entirely new systems versus smaller repair charges here and there. By taking our integrity and commitment to quality into consideration, our customer decided that this upfront investment would pay dividends over time. It was a strategic move to break free from what had become a cycle of endless service calls. Ultimately, they chose to revive their operations.
Service Crane Company partnered with CraneWerks, Inc. to provide the 3 new systems in place of the customer’s dated equipment which was regularly needing repairs. Understanding the life of equipment, we directed their team toward investing in new equipment versus continuing to repair their existing systems which had begun regularly failing their team. Long-term, we believe that this solution will best serve them.
There’s nothing quite like seeing the results firsthand in action. Thanks to Service Crane Company’s intervention, downtime has plummeted by over 20%. Our custom, quality solutions not only met but exceeded expectations, aligning perfectly with the goal of maximizing safe, efficient, and profitable operations.
“We’re able go to our upper management and show them to where it pays off. Looking at the information that’s coming off the monthly inspection reports is very important to not having (Service Crane) come in here for emergency repairs,” shares one of their maintenance managers.
With Service Crane’s strategic approach of repairs, upgrades, and replacements we have been able to drastically reduce repair costs, improve production up time and alleviate the burden that the cranes put on their maintenance staff freeing them up to work on other equipment.
Now, Service Crane and this customer are working proactively together, planning for inevitable maintenance.
From this partnership, their manager says, “I actually have now gotten into keeping items like brake pads, drives for the cranes, and wire ropes here, buying it ahead of time… that way, if all of a sudden the [Service Crane inspectors] come in for an inspection and say, ‘Yeah, this is shot, or we’ve gotta do something quick because this is bad,’ we can say, ‘Okay, go check the shelf.’ Instead of having to ask to order the part.”
This helps reduce cost by eliminating both time constraints and potential expediting fees.
Their maintenance team adds, “Now, you guys come in and do the inspections, we read it and go over it with [the Service Crane team] in our monthly meetings where those guys come to our plant and we sit down and say, “Okay, this is what we found, this is what we’re looking at.”
With this planned schedule we’re following with this maintenance manager and his team, they are no longer experiencing the emergency maintenance which, at the beginning, had become a regular occurrence.
What led to the ultimate decision to dive into this investment? Tom says, “Cranes are cranes, they’re expensive…But, we just looked at, where do we sit this year? How much money did we pay for emergency repairs, compared to the year before?”
We’ll let you in on a little something: it was a lot less. Where some companies would opt to continue servicing these outdated systems, our team of integrity stepped in to serve our customer.
Introducing Ryan Wolfe: Your Dedicated Partner in Overhead Crane Solutions
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