Tie Rod Jib Crane Improves Safety and Efficiency
A regional power generation company was using 3 and 5 ton hoists suspended from monorails in their weld/fabrication shop. Hanging over the workbenches, the hoists were used to pick up anything from damaged couplers to bearings and anything in need of repair.
The setup caused some problems, however. The welders often had to wait for a shared hoist to be free before they could pick up a part they needed to work on. They complained about the time lost waiting. In addition, a mess of tangled air hoses and electrical cables draped across the floor and work spaces created trip hazards.
Safer, More Efficient Solution
The local Gorbel dealer was consulted, and suggested using Gorbel wall-bracket jibs to service the individual work cells. Reel Craft air hose and electric reels were attached to the ends of the jibs to help manage cords and eliminate trip hazards. The jibs were designed as 1 ton, 16 ft span jibs that were then derated to ½ ton so as not to sacrifice the payload of the jibs after mounting the reels and necessary festooning needed to supply the air and electric to the reels.
The results? The operators are more productive through the increased efficiency of having dedicated jibs, and the company's safety department was elated to see the reduction of trip hazards in the work cell.
