KROHNE, Inc. is a process measurement instrument manufacturer based in Beverly, Massachusetts. KROHNE produces electromagnetic flowmeters, ultrasonic flowmeters, temperature and pressure sensors, and other instruments used by oil, water, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries.

KROHNE, Inc. recently began a move into a larger production and testing facility, and one of the newer product lines to be produced in this facility is a range of Coriolis Mass flow meters. With a greater range and volume of production in the new facility, KROHNE needed a new overhead lifting solution. The systems would have to be able to move equipment and materials in multiple manufacturing work cells, testing facilities, and shipping and receiving docks. To find the best solution for their needs, KROHNE reached out to Bode Equipment Co., a Spanco dealer serving the New England region.

SOLUTION
Representatives from Bode Equipment assessed the facility’s needs and capabilities. They surveyed the new facility to create a plan of where they needed lifting equipment, what jobs the cranes would do, and what types of cranes would be best-suited for each situation. Bode then recommended a combination of two Spanco Freestanding Workstation Bridge Cranes and four mobile Spanco A-Series Adjustable-Height Gantry Cranes.

The A-Series Adjustable Height Gantry Cranes can be adjusted from a minimum height of 10 feet, four inches to a maximum height of 13 feet, four inches. They each have a capacity of 2,000 pounds and a span of 12 feet, 1-½ inches. These gantry cranes are used in work cells where welders lift partially completed assemblies onto workbenches or work fixtures. The welders can then position the assemblies to provide easy access to work on the components.

The Freestanding Workstation Bridge Cranes are each equipped with a single 1,000-pound capacity bridge. One consists of 23-foot runways and a 20-foot bridge and serves the shipping department, where workers load completed products from carts into their shipping crates. The other bridge crane uses 65-foot runways and a 23-foot bridge. This crane is used to place assembled products and additional equipment into KROHNE’s calibration rig. Assembled products are then bolted into place to be calibrated before they are shipped out.

IMPACT
Because KROHNE, Inc. was upgrading to a new state-of-the-art production facility, they needed a state-of-the-art material handling solution that would be safe, efficient, and reliable. The combination of Spanco Workstation Bridge Cranes and Gantry Cranes provides a solution that is specifically tailored to fit KROHNE’s needs throughout the production process.

Safety and efficiency are important values of both Bode Equipment Co. and KROHNE, Inc., and the new systems make the workplace safer and more efficient by eliminating the need for manual lifting. The bridge cranes can move large loads quickly, providing permanent lifting solutions for the work areas that need them most. The gantry cranes can be moved to any location in the facility, providing safe lifting solutions wherever they are needed.

The Spanco systems protect workers from strain injuries that can result from repetitive heavy lifting, and they simplify the entire work process. With these important safety and efficiency improvements, KROHNE is equipped with a complete material handling layout that will serve them effectively for many years.