Move Heavy Load Solutions

When requirements come up to move really heavy loads in the typical conditions found in most manufacturing and assembly operations, until now there have been very limited means of handling loads that weigh more than thirty tons, and even fewer means to move loads weighing greater than eighty tons.  In reality, in the heavy tonnage ranges, heavy load moving solutions have been limited to very heavy capacity overhead cranes and heavy capacity in-floor rail transfer cars.  And, if floor conditions were good, heavy load solutions could occasionally be addressed with air bearings or air casters as they are commonly called.  But the latter could only be successfully used if the plant had very good floors, a large air supply, and crews that were highly experienced and devoted to making the air bearing systems work with the myriad of sensitive issues that accompany air bearing based systems.

Air bearings have largely fallen into disfavor, typically because of their customer’s inability to maintain reliable operating conditions in most “real world’ industrial environments.  To move heavy loads on air bearings can be a highly problematic situation at best.  To succeed at all with air casters on a continuing basis, requires very careful attention to detail when the systems are first purchased and then a great deal of care and maintenance to assure the floors remain in their original, near perfect condition.  Expansion joints and floor cracks are a critical part of the upkeep that often is the Achilles’ heel of air bearing heavy moving systems.  That inability to handle deteriorating floor conditions has resulted in the overwhelming majority of air bearing systems purchased in the last 30 years across the US and many other points around the world to be abandoned within the first year or so of operation.

A revolutionary new heavy moving solution has been emerging over that last couple of years.  This new heavy moving solution is in the form of multi-axle heavy capacity wheeled transporters.  Moving heavy loads of virtually any capacities, ranging from thirty tons to several hundred tons and greater now have practical in-plant application capability on almost ANY type of floor condition, including ramps and the typical surfaces running between buildings.  These new all-electric, equalized loading heavy transporters by Wheelift are fully self-propelled, with LP engine driven generator power units.  This new heavy load solution is based on omnidirectional steering axle assemblies, where each on-center rotation axle has independent fluid suspension that assure that every tire is seeing only its planned share of the load.  These multi axle transporters are typically applied where the heavy load moving and assembly systems involve loads greater than 80 tons.  They are designed to operate in highly congested areas on “as-is” factory floor conditions.

A plant that is planning to expand their operations into larger products can freely proceed with plans to build products several times larger than they could otherwise consider, and probably without any modifications to their basic facility.  This new solution for moving heavy loads can assure that existing floor and existing structure are not an impediment to major product expansion.

Giving credit where credit is due, current air bearing firms like Aero-Go, Hovair, and American Solving, provide heavy moving solutions that can work effectively in the right applications and with customers who can carefully control their operating environment.  Compared to Wheelift transporters, air bearing based heavy load systems “first in” costs are undoubtedly considerably less than the cost of a wheeled transporter of similar capacity.  Frankly, if any type of conventional system of cranes, floor embedded rail systems, heavy haul trailers, or air bearings based systems can adequately do the intended job and operate in the intended environment, then Wheelift transporters would simply not be feasible from a first-cost comparison standpoint.  However, if the inherent abilities to easily move on all existing floors and maneuver in otherwise impossible area can allow you to use your plant is ways never before possible, then the higher cost is simply insignificant.  The higher first-in cost can be overcome in the first weeks or months when comparing against increased productivity and the avoidance of major changes to existing buildings.

TRADEMARKS

The following terms that are used through this website: Wheelift^®, Uniload^®, SynchroSteer^®, StackAxle^®, TrackAxle™ and OmniAxle^™ are all trademarks that are exclusively licensed to Doerfer Companies.