Street Crane has completed the installation of three overhead cranes at one of the most advanced factories in the world. Located in Sheffield, AMRC Factory 2050 is the UK’s first reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research. Street has designed, supplied and installed cranes which will play a crucial role in the handling of heavy machinery and parts including robots, wind turbines and aircraft wings.
As well as two 10-tonne cranes which can operate in tandem the contract included a bespoke, circular overhead crane capable of travelling around the building and lifting products weighing up to five tonnes.
“Street’s overhead cranes form an essential part of the facility as they are in constant use, locating, moving and positioning heavier objects such as robots and machine beds,” says Ben Morgan, head of the Integrated Manufacturing Group/Factory 2050.
“We needed a lighter crane for the circular building and given its iconic shape turned to Street to engineer a product that matched our exact specification. The larger cranes are used in tandem to help improve safety. Aircraft wings for example can be flexible so lifting them with two cranes ensures more stability.
“We’ve been really impressed by all of Street’s products. They’re much quicker, safer and more efficient than any others we’ve used before.“
Chris Lindley-Smith, sales director at Street adds: “Seeing the cranes in use and playing a key role in such an advanced facility is very rewarding. The circular, single girder crane is unlike any other we’ve manufactured before as it incorporates special end carriages that enable it to travel around the track of the circular building. All of the cranes have been fitted with our renowned ZX hoists which will maximise reliability, production and performance and minimise maintenance requirements.”
The £43m 7,000 sq m circular factory is constructed largely from glass to showcase the advanced manufacturing technologies of the AMRC with Boeing’s Integrated Manufacturing Group. It is expected to be fully operational by summer 2016 when it will house around 70 AMRC staff.
