Reliable Lifting is Crucial for
State-of-the-Art Trailer Facility

The Challenge

When Tiger Trailers designed their new 168,000 sqft. production facility in Winsford, Cheshire, they specified the latest manufacturing techniques and production equipment. The flexible flowline production process would occupy four bays and required complete hook coverage by 12 production-duty cranes.

Tiger is engaged in volume production of a standard range of trailers but also provide bespoke solutions. They were the first UK manufacturer to design and offer a moving double deck trailer with a 52-pallet capacity and have followed this with other pioneering achievements in their field such as the development of a Lightweight Clearspan Curtainsider and Captive Rave load restraint system.

The cranes would be required to lift and transport component and assembly parts throughout an intensive production line. As the cranes would be critical to Tiger’s production cycle, very high availability was required which dictated a need for an extremely reliable product with reduced service and inspection times. Load security and operator safety were also prime considerations.

The Solution

Street worked closely with the engineers at Tiger Trailers to establish the spectrum of loads to be lifted and the cycle times required for crane movements. From this and other information the capacities, duty classifications and speeds for each motion were established. The production process required remote control of the cranes and the ability to make very precise crane travel movements.

Eight ‘3-tonne’ cranes and four ‘5-tonne’ cranes were supplied and installed with M5 duty classification throughout each with radio controls. Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) programmed with ‘ramp and hold’ operation ensured that micro-movements were possible as well as quick acceleration to full speed on traverse and travel.

All cranes are single girder construction and are fitted with Street ZX electric wire rope hoists.

Key Benefits

Single girder construction provides the lightest and most cost-effective crane solution. The Street ZX hoist is designed with a reaction roller instead of a counterweight which further reduces crane weight and in turn, reduces the cost of the supporting steelwork.

The ZX hoist gearbox brake provides the additional level of safety required and its positioning means it holds the load secure where a standard braked motor would not. If the motor shaft, motor coupling or motor connection were to fail then the Street brake design remains effective in holding the load.

The unique design of the ZX hoist brake provides further benefits over a traditional braked motor design.

1. The heat generated by the hoist brake does not transfer to the hoist motor resulting in a lower motor operating temperature, increased reliability and extended motor life.
2. The hoist brake mounted externally provides unhindered access for servicing as there is no need to disassemble the motor cover and fan to gain access.