Curtain Wall Manufacturer Reduces Manual Lifting and Streamlines Production with Spanco Workstation Bridge Cranes
Products used
Overview
Woodbridge Glass and Werner Systems design, build, engineer, fabricate, assemble, glaze, and install unitized curtain wall systems for building façades. Woodbridge Glass performs the installation, and Werner Systems performs the design, fabrication, and all other related processes in-house. Werner Systems also manufactures their own composite and plate panels, as well as any structural embeds required for their systems.
At the Werner Systems manufacturing plant, components are moved throughout the facility to construct the unitized panels. To assemble the panels, heavy materials must be moved between workstations.
For a long time, Werner Systems moved the parts manually. Groups of four to six workers were required to lift each unit and move it from station to station throughout the plant. However, moving the heavy parts and components manually was inefficient and unproductive, as it was slow and took workers from more useful tasks. It was also unsafe, since strains from overexertion were always possible.
To improve the operations, several jib cranes were installed to lift and move the heaviest components. When Werner Systems moved into a new plant, a new solution was required. Managers at the new plant worked with Spanco dealers at Facilities Engineering, a material handling solutions provider based in Anaheim, California, to find the best solution for their application.
Solution
To provide material handling capability for their unitized panel assembly, Werner Systems purchased a series of Spanco Freestanding Workstation Bridge Cranes. These Spanco Workstation Bridge Cranes serve several different areas and multiple steps of the manufacturing process.
In one location, Spanco Workstation Bridge Cranes assist workers in placing glass panes into the assembled frames. The easy movement provided by the low-friction polyamide wheels allows workers to move and place the large panes precisely. In another location, workers use additional workstation bridge cranes to complete the final phase of assembly and transfer the unitized panels to the shipping department.
Most recently, they have installed two new Spanco Freestanding Workstation Bridge Cranes, one with 106-foot runways and the other with 46-foot runways. Both cranes have a trolley-clevis height of 17 feet, a bridge span of 32 feet, and a capacity of 4,000 pounds. With the two newest cranes, Woodbridge Glass/Werner Systems uses a total of eight Spanco systems throughout their facility.
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Impact
Steve Siciliani, a principal owner of Woodbridge Glass and Werner Systems, told us that the Spanco Workstation Bridge Cranes have been crucial to improving their operations. The cranes can lift and move the components and fabricated panels safely without damage. They also relieve workers from manual lifting, which reduces the risk of injuries.
Steve also explained that the competitive pricing, short lead-times, and easy installation allowed them to implement their new material handling operation quickly. He told us that the workers using the Spanco systems love the ease-of-use, which makes the entire material handling process more efficient than before.
Steve also told us that Woodbridge Glass/Werner Systems is likely to utilize additional Spanco equipment in the future: “as the economy grows, we are going to expand our operations, and I will no doubt be purchasing more Spanco Bridge Cranes.” With the cranes handling the heavy lifting, workers can produce more units with less effort, allowing the company to boost overall productivity.
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