In 2008, Cannard undertook a restructuring programme of its factory layout to meet growing demands for expansion and increased efficiency resulting in a reorganisation of its production line. Part of the reorganisation involved the relocation of its wheel blast machine – not an easy project at 5.2m high and weighing about 15 tonnes.
Challenges
In 2002, Cannard, a specialised steel construction company based in Montpont en Bresse, France, invested in a Wheelabrator roller conveyor wheel blast machine, type RC1500H, for the treatment of metallic beams.
Wheelabrator roller conveyor shot blast machines are known for their longevity and with regular maintenance just keep going and going.
Steel plates, sheets, beams, sections, pipes and tubes, can all be descaled, cleaned and prepared by simply loading on to the machine, pressing the start button and after a short cycle time, unloading the finished product - all free of dust and abrasive.
The Wheelabrator Group RC1500 type roller conveyor wheelblast machine can handle steel plates and sheets up to 1.5m wide and a maximum sheet thickness of 0.5m. The machine installed at Cannard is equipped with 4 x 11kW blast wheels which fit perfectly with their blasting requirements.
Solution
The relocation project was managed by Wheelabrator Plus, the aftermarket team at Wheelabrator Group, who provided an efficient moving and handling solution resulting in minimum downtime and disruption, all critical issues for any company.
The project involved removing a section of the factory roof and then a large scale lifting operation as the blast machine was successfully removed using a 250 tonne Altéad Canyon Levage crane. Once outside the factory the wheel blast machine was transferred to a new building nearby ready for set up, connection and use.
Result
Mr Ouabadi, Service Manager for Wheelabrator Plus in France, said: “Our team worked closely with Cannard to establish their exact needs before proposing our solution. A relocation of this type was chosen over a traditional move or dismantling exercise to ensure minimum downtime and disruption and to achieve an increased production efficiency, maximum output and achieve a more effective use of factory space – not forgetting the significant cost savings!”
Wheelabrator Plus is the aftermarket service, support and supply division of Wheelabrator Group.
Focused entirely on providing a customer-friendly solution that is affordable and profitable for the customer. The Wheelabrator Plus team offers a whole range of services for all users of surface preparation equipment, no matter how large or small.
If you use surface preparation equipment in your production processes, you need to be confident that you are getting the highest efficiency with optimum output at the lowest cost. This is where Wheelabrator Plus can help, with an extensive range of services including equipment modernisation, training, maintenance and service programmes, replacement parts and consumables.