However, MAC currently is in the process of filling a larger order of half-rounds that has moved the mix closer to 50/50. Normally the plant builds a mix that is approximately 70% refuse trailers and 30% end dumps. “The refuse lines are organized in the same basic way,” Sheen says. From that point on, the additions are incremental, including tailgate installation, finish welding, wiring, and inspection.įinished dump trailers are moved outside the plant and tested and the dump cylinders cycled. The trailer is turned right-side up at the third station. From there, the shell moves to the second station to have draft arms installed. There the shell is assembled upside down. In the case of the end dumps, an estimated 60-70% of the trailer is built on the first station. Regardless of whether the product is a refuse trailer or a half-round end dump, the assembly lines are similar, each with seven stations. Fabricated components then flow along a middle aisle to their respected subassembly cell and then to the assembly lines on either the left or right. The layout that MAC developed includes material storage on the side of the plant that flows to a fabrication department on one end of the facility. “We made three major changes to the layout until we got it the way we want it.” The result “We walked this building when it was empty and got a rough idea of what the plant layout should look like,” Sheen says.
But we are pleased with the layout we designed. “A few extra feet at the end of the building would enable us to have a straight assembly line. “We spent a lot of time measuring and mapping out where everything would go,” recalls Tate Ray, plant manager. One thing that could not be changed, however, was the footprint of the building. “We had a goal to build trailers 90 days after we took over the building,” says Jeff Sheen, general manager of MAC’s refuse equipment division.Įlectrical, compressed air, and equipment all were added within that timeframe. And when overhead cranes were not delivered or installed in time, a gantry frame mounted on an A-frame did the heavy lifting.īut MAC began building its first trailer right on schedule.
#Mac end dump trailer generator#
When electrical contractors were unable to complete the work in time, MAC ran extension cords and fired up a generator to provide the electricity the company needed. The electrical demand far exceeded the supply coming into the building, requiring a switch from 800-amp to 1,600-amp service. Converting a warehouse into a trailer plant required the addition of approximately 50 110-volt electrical drops and 80 480-volt drops. Manufacturing aluminum trailers is an energy-intensive process. But plumbing the building to deliver compressed air was not nearly as challenging as installing electrical service throughout the plant. Ironically, a building that handled tires had no compressed air. The company got the keys to the building July 1 last year and was building trailers in it three months later.
0 kommentar(er)
