 |
 |
||||||
[July 2002]
Craven Develops Specialist Lifting Solution for Vulcan
Handling equipment specialist Craven Associates (Cheltenham, Glos, England) has designed and manufactured a bespoke lifting solution for Vulcan Refractories (Cheadle, Staffs, England). Vulcan is a manufacturer of refractories, producing a range of bespoke products for industrial ceramic applications.Recently, Vulcan developed new products to produce silicon carbide side wall lining blocks used to line reduction cells for primary smelting operations in the aluminium industry. To meet increased demand for this product, the company has recently completed a significant investment in new, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant.
As part of the production process, the SiC ceramic blocks are loaded into a kiln for firing. The blocks - which come in a variety of sizes - weigh between 50kg and 60kg, necessitating lifting equipment for loading and unloading the kiln. The complex nature of the lifting operation made conventional lifting equipment impossible to use and Vulcan asked Craven Associates to develop a lifting system based on its previous experience in the refractories industry. It was also specified that the unit should be fork-lift portable, for use at more than one point in the factory.
The solution is a 'Hydra-lift', using an hydraulically operated telescopic column to provide vertical lift, with a manually operated three-pivot articulated jib arm, on the end of which is a vacuum pad capable of movement through 360° and able to lift 100kg, all with electrical pendant control.
ENDS