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Innovative machine transport

19/04/2017 | In January, Felbermayr’s subsidiary Wimmer Maschinentransporte relocated a 68-ton press for an internationally active automotive supplier. The heavy haulage transport to Hungary covering approximately 1,000 kilometres started in Sevelen in Switzerland. What made this project special was the fact that – thanks to a transport frame specifically designed for this purpose – the press did not have to be disassembled completely as it had been originally planned.

“Generally speaking, relocating presses has almost become a routine jobs for this company,” says Wimmer Maschinentransporte’s Holger Stegmann. In the case of a press weighing in at 68 tons, however, the Wimmer team was challenged with optimising the relocation time.

Relocation time cut by five weeks   

Stegmann comments: “Intending to cut the relocation time by saving avoidable disassembly and reassembly work, the automotive supplier suggested to encase the press in a steel corset.” The idea was that this would allow for the valuable freight to be put on its side and transported in one piece.  Initially, the press’ manufacturer was less than thrilled by this idea since the press had not been designed for such an operation. In the end, however, we managed to convince the manufacturer of the project’s viability.” According to Stegmann, this meant that – prior to its relocation – the technicians only had to remove non-crucial parts and were spared open-heart surgery. Thus, after covering some 1,000 kilometres to reach its new location in Hungary, the press could be re-integrated into the process as early as January, five weeks earlier than originally expected. According to the client, the project yielded another advantage in the fact that production at the departure point in Sevelen had not been hindered by disassembly work.

Inter-company cooperation

Stegmann happily reports that – in addition to the client’s participation and willingness to cooperate – the firm’s cooperation with subsidiary Bau-Trans turned out great. Thus, in Switzerland, the press was lifted onto a flatbed lorry provided by Bau-Trans’ Lauterach branch by means of a crane deployed by Liechtenstein branch. Bau-Trans’ Budapest branch stood at the ready with its lifting equipment to unload the component in Hungary.   

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