Turnkey project for automotive company
December 6, 2022 | Markus Lackner
We are used to complex tasks," says project manager Adrian Gieb from the Sulzemoos site of Wimmer Maschinentransporte in Bavaria. However, the relocation of 50 machines for the production of gears for car transmissions was also a big challenge for him: "In the course of the contract, we acting as general contractor with responsibility for the complete relocation as a turnkey project," Gieb notes and explains: "This means that everything was entirely our responsibility - from the creation of a data backup together with the manufacturers, to the shutdown of the 50 machines in Germany, to the transport and then the re-commissioning in Romania". In detail, this means the coordination of all trades. In terms of personnel, this consists of electricians, mechanics as well as the employees of the involved manufacturing companies for the decommissioning of the machines, up to the truck and crane drivers for the transport and assembly of the components. "In total, about 50 employees were working on the project at the same time".
Lifting gantry for removal
The local conditions at the starting point brought further complexity into the mix. This is because the machines to be relocated were situated on the second floor of the production plant. Extraction to an open area at the same level was still easily possible by means of a lifting frame and forklift. But due to the conditions on site, a crane could not be used for lifting down. "We found the solution in the use of a 17-metre high lifting gantry with a pulley block mounted on a shifting track. This made it possible to pick up the machines, weighing up to about 20 tonnes, at the top and load them directly onto the plateau trailers and then secure them for transport. The transport of the machines, including various add-on components, required 100 truck transports consisting of standard and special transports.
"At the destination, unloading was possible by crane because of the space conditions," Gieb notes. However, a lifting frame was also available at the destination. This was used for placing the foundations of the larger machines. The machines were brought into the hall by means of electrically operated transport roller sets. "After the mechanical and electrical installation, a 'green' part was produced on the individual systems for functional testing," explains Gieb. Based on this "prototype", the machines were then successfully handed over to the customer step by step, says Gieb, who, together with his employees, successfully completed the largest order in Wimmers' history.
