TRIPLE STATION JIB LIFTS, SWINGS AND ROTATES WORKPIECES

Brixworth Engineering Co Ltd, specialists in the design and manufacture of work handling equipment, have recently supplied a special purpose jib crane to BE Aerospace, based in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland.

This hydraulically powered unit was produced to comply with client specifications for the safe handling of total loads up to 750kg, while also operating in a multi-cell working environment. The system is fully compliant with all current and predicted Health and Safety legislation within the UK and is fully CE marked.

The work project involved the raising of three tool lids from large resin transfer moulding (RTM) tools. These are then swung clear before the lids are rotated and lowered at a cleaning station. This process is reversed once cleaning has been completed, but meanwhile, the same jib crane unit is used to undertake similar operations at two further adjacent working cells.

Prior to the supply of the new Brixworth handling device, the work was carried out with several pieces of handling equipment for the separate lifting, placement and rotation of single individual loads.

With equipment duplicated within adjacent cells, the whole operation required two operators and involved some safety hazards with the movement between workstations of untethered loads of up to 250kg each.

With the installation of the Brixworth floor mounted device, however, all operations can be undertaken single-handedly. Three tool lids are collectively raised under hydraulic power to give a minimum 7ft ground clearance, and then swung round using light hand pressure only above the cleaning location. With a rigid jib arm, the movement of the loads has smooth and fully controlled horizontal and vertical movements. The loads are lowered under power and can also be turned over or rotated a full 360º, with lock-off points at the horizontal and vertical positions. The raise and lower operations are carried out with a pendant controller which features an automatic ‘dead-mans’ release. Quick ‘connect and release’ mechanisms are provided for attachment to the individual loads, with distances between the lift arms also having a ± 12” adjustment.

With a 3.5 metre jib arm radius, a shot bolt mechanism is used to prevent inadvertent over-swing into an adjacent cell area. This same mechanism is also utilised when the device is required for use in an adjacent work cell, where it is also similarly automatically mechanically limited to operation in only one cell area at a time.

Mr Colm McKeown of BE Aerospace comments ‘the purpose built jib crane supplied by Brixworth has proved to be an excellent investment. The labour content has been reduced, as well as reducing manual effort for the operator, while the whole job can now be undertaken quicker, easier and with a much higher level of safety where such heavy loads are involved. The unit has proved to be ideally ‘fit-for-purpose’, with one machine replacing several separate pieces of work-handling equipment.’