Reinforced Steel Industry Container Handling

Introduction

Mobicon Straddle Carriers are being used in the Reinforced Steel Industry.  This is a special application for the Mobicon gantry crane.

The Problem

There are specific issues when handling reinforced steel.  It is considered “ugly” freight, as often pieces of steel are sticking out, and loading and securing the freight on trailers can be quite a challenge. 

Working at a height of 1.6 meters, while guiding bundles of steel, is a dangerous work practice that needs to be addressed.

Another issue is that once the steel is produced, it has to be stored.  Often building works are delayed, and storing the steel on trailers is expensive.

The Reinforced Steel Industry was looking for a way to eliminate handling at height, and reduce hire cost of trailers.

The Solution

The Mobicon Straddle Carrier fulfills the requirements of the Reinforced Steel Industry. 

In combination with using flat bed containers, both the working from height issue and storing steel on expensive trailers are eliminated.

A Mobicon Straddle carrier places flat bed containers in the dispatch area, and the factory crane loads the steel on the flat beds that are only 200mm high.

Once the load is secured to the flat bed, the Mobicon takes the flat bed outside to a holding area, and places an empty flat bed in the factory.

When a trailer arrives, the Mobicon places a loaded flat bed on the trailer. The loading on the trailer only takes a few minutes.

The Benefits

• Safety improved - loading steel while the flat bed is on the ground is much safer than loading the steel on a trailer.
• Major savings by reducing the number of trailers in the fleet - less capital outlay, less maintenance, insurance and road taxes of trailers. Flat bed containers are much cheaper than trailers. Only a few trailers are required.
• Faster turnaround time of the trailers - it only takes 10 minutes to unload an empty flat bed, and load a full one on the trailer.
• Safer for drivers - trailers do not have to be uncoupled and coupled to the prime mover. This practice includes climbing on the trailer, and winding support legs up and down. Both these practices can cause injuries to the drivers.
• Empty flat beds can be stored on top of each other, saving yard space
• Loaded flat beds can often be stored two high when the load is less than 1.5 meters high, again saving yard space

Steel industry case study

Read about how Australian Reinforcing Company (ARC) reduced costs and increased safety with a Mobicon system. 

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