A customer came to Brilex Technical Solutions with a challenging request for a material handling solution. They were dealing with an outdated scrap transfer car system with two substantial problems impacting production: a winch-powered push pull transfer mechanism and a failing stationary weigh system that required a substantial and expensive foundation. The challenge? A safe scrap car with an integrated onboard weigh system that could weigh scrap being loaded into the bucket at one location and additives for steel making at another.
The current winch setup was risky; the car was pulled by a wire rope cable, which had the potential to snap due to falling scrap metal cutting the cable. creating a serious safety hazard. To address this, we replaced the winch with redundant shaft mounted gearmotors allowing the car to power itself, making the car safer and more reliable with dual drives.
The original weigh system had many issues. Its foundation was failing, and accuracy of the weigh system had dropped significantly. When the user decided to replace both the transfer car and the weigh system, they aimed to integrate weighing directly into the car. After hearing from other vendors that this integration was not feasible, they reached out to us, trusting our proven weighing and material handling experience with highly reliable Ladle Transfer Cars.
Through innovative engineering from our skilled team, we designed a car and weigh frame that could support the Scrap Bucket and integrate a weigh scale with sufficient clearance. Additionally, we incorporated a weigh system compatible with the equipment elsewhere in their plant, reducing spare part requirements.
One final improvement was upgrading the car’s suspension. We found that the previous car’s suspension could not handle the impact of loads for which it was previously designed, contributing to the foundation failures and wear on the car. Our enhanced suspension design allows for scrap up to 10,000 pounds dropped nearly 20 feet to be loaded, extending the life of the new foundation, lowering overall operating costs, and decreasing the time to load the scrap bucket.
When asked about our scrap car, the customer said, "The integrated onboard weigh system and drive have enhanced our quality control by making it more reliable and consistent, reduced downtime, and eliminated a significant safety hazard in our shop." Today, this customer now has three identical BTS designed, and Brilex Industries built scrap cars in use. They appreciate not only our high-quality products, but also our custom engineered solutions to suit their needs.
Our willingness to take on the “impossible” has allowed us to build strong, long-lasting relationships with great customers, and enabled us to be a leader in custom material handling solutions. Get in touch with us to see how we can solve your material handling challenges!
