How do I move from a manual assembly line to automated?

A question we hear a lot from our customers is: How do I move from a manual assembly line to one which is more automated? And then: How do I do this without major interruptions and/or major cost to my assembly line? Is downtime in my manufacturing, assembly plant, or warehouse unavoidable in making the switch from a manual system to an automated one?

Automatically Guided Vehicles now run along smart tape, and are no longer required to be embedded into the concrete floor of the facility, which immediately saves you time and money and the headaches of downtime while your existing building goes through renovations. AGV’s also run to a pre-determined program written during the manufacturing process in coordination with the client, so the AGV’s hit your lines running.

 

A Manually Guided Vehicle is one guided by an operator who uses a hand-held control to move the unit through its steps. This controller can either be attached to the MGV by a cord or as a wireless remote control. In choosing an MGV you will experience the freedom and ergonomic advantages to moving product from one end of the line or facility to the other.  Our MGV’s are already equipped with most of the AGV hardware so you can translate from manual to automatic for very little money and minimum effort.  

Case studies are available for both versions in multiple designs for a myriad of industries and applications. Handling Specialty has been in business since 1963 and builds AGV’s and MGV’s for some of the most demanding functions.
To better understand whether your facility could benefit from an AGV or MGV system, contact mroper@handling.com for more information and be sure to ask us about our demonstration unit.

 

 

Underwater Stage Lifts Engineered to Inspire Innovation

Handling Specialty's work on the aquatic stage lifts for Cirque du Soleil’s “O” show in Las Vegas continues to inspire innovation in entertainment with a new Virtual Reality, 360o, 12-minute, 3D video. Discover more here: http://www.handling.com/company/news/underwater-lifts-continue-to-inspire/

Drop Tables in Rail and Transportation Applications

Drop tables for the transit industry refer to equipment designed and built for maintenance operations to assist the technicians with easy removal of wheel sets, traction motors/combos, and full trucks/bogies of freight cars, transit vehicles and locomotives.

Locomotive drop tables can range from lifting capacities between 5 and 125 tons, incorporating virtually every weight of truck/bogie which requires maintenance.

Handling Specialty Drop tables come in a screw type design for the 20 ton and up capacities, while employing hydraulic actuation for their 5 ton. Through their technical sales professionals and extensive engineering department, Handling can build drop tables to custom specifications where required, and been actively building for the rail and transportation industry for many years.




To learn more, view photos and video, or to contact a Handling Specialty professional please visit: http://www.handling.com/product-categories/rail-maintenance-equipment/drop-tables-2/

Is Trade Built on Enduring Relationships, Rather Than Presidential Elections?

Handling Specialty's President, Thomas Beach is making news in the wake of the Presidential elections. 

"The shock-election of Donald Trump as America’s next president won’t change things for his Grimsby company Handling Specialty, which has enduring business links with the U.S." -  Writes Don Fraser in his article for the Southern Ontario city paper; the St. Catherines Standard on November 9th.

 

“I have relationships that I believe in,” said Beach, Handling Specialty's president. “And I believe they will outlive a short-term ripple effect of Trump’s appointment."

Read the full article here: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2016/11/09/niagara-us-trade-built-on-enduring-relationships 

Bellmouth Inlet Transfer System for Aerospace

The aerospace industry and Handling Specialty have been working together for many years. With clients like Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Bombardier, Lockheed Martin and many others, the number of projects have increased - and with them - the level of technology used to support our clients applications.

Recently, Handling Specialty secured more repeat business with one of our top aerospace customers for several Bellmouth Inlet Transfer Systems. This unit is essentially a robotic arm which positions the engine for assembly.

The unit includes a laser guidance system which allows for precise positioning of the bellmouth.

The Material Handling Equipment Provider for Nuclear Facilities

Handling Specialty works with clients in the nuclear industry to engineer and manufacture massive four post lifts, unique portable tilt and rotate platforms, gimble service lifts, bridges, retubing platforms, and many more custom products to assist in the refurbishment of nuclear reactors, nuclear waste storage, and day to day operations.

One of our massive four post lifts were used in a test facility to train nuclear technicians in the re-tubing process for refurbishing nuclear reactors. The lift was manufactured to extremely tight tolerances to comply to Z299.2 requirements. Case Study

The engineered and manufactured portable tilt and rotate platform was designed for draining dry storage containers (DSC) that held spent nuclear fuel rods at a nuclear facility in Ontario.  An operator uses a hand pendant controller to rotate and tilt the DSC to allow water to drain from the container. The three-degree tilt angle must be maintained for 24 hours for complete drainage to occur. Case Study

Handling Specialty and Atomic Energy of Canada combined forces in the design and manufacture of the lift system used to service AEC gimbles.  The gimble is a device that is mounted to an overhead crane in the reactor tube area of a nuclear power plant.  Positioned on the underside of the crane, the gimble is used to remove old fuel rods and insert new ones into a reactor. The system’s main lift is hydraulic while the second lift is mechanical to ensure accurate positioning. Case Study

Our material handling solutions for the Nuclear industry have been procured multiple times since Handling Specialty’s inception and exhibit a proven success rate of meeting and exceeding the expectations of our clients.

So Many Events on Manufacturing Day 2016

With over 35 Manufacturing Day events planned in Southern Ontario between October 1^st – 7^th, and over 2,000 events across North America, it’s clear to see that the industry is alive and well and looking to recruit new talent. The direction manufacturing is moving demands more young minds able to train on new and emerging technologies in order to continue building on our manufacturing roots.

As manufacturers open their doors to the public for a candid tour and/or learning session, they are focusing their efforts on educating high school students who are about to enter college or the workforce. An education in this potential career path is an eye opening experience, and gives students and other interested parties a real world look inside multiple manufacturing facilities.

Learn about lean manufacturing and Green practices now at work in this important industry.

Just look at the results for the 2015 MFG Day survey: http://www.mfgday.com/resources/2015-event-survey-results

For where and when these events are taking place visit: http://www.mfgday.com/events