Hitachi Rail Europe has poured £82m into a new train factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. The investment has been made to enable the group to manufacture a combination of up to 35 metro, commuter and high-speed intercity trains each month.
An integral part of this new manufacturing setup, which employs 700 staff, has arrived in the form of nine overhead cranes, which were supplied by Street Crane.
Two of these systems are 40-tonne overhead cranes that been installed to offload train carriages that are made off site. These machines are fitted to high-lift bogies, which enables them to be safely and easily moved around the factory.
A high-lift system has allowed additional equipment to be installed underneath the crane operation area. Street Crane also installed fixed gantries along the production lines to enable technicians to easily access the carriages for fitting out.
In addition, another seven cranes with capacities to lift 10 or 15 tonnes have been fitted by the business to bring materials and components to workstations around the facility. All nine cranes feature double box-girder construction and deploy Street’s ZX hoists
Chris Lindley-Smith, sales director at Street Crane explains: "This contract was time critical so we had to work closely with the main contractor, Shepherd Construction, to manufacture and deliver the cranes within the required delivery schedule.
"This meant fitting the crane beams before the roof was added to the building and ensuring that they were protected from the weather.
"As production deadlines are critical in the rail industry, it is essential that the cranes are as reliable and safe as possible, so the crane speeds have been optimised for efficient product flow and to ensure load safety and stability.
"We have also provided anti-collision systems where multiple cranes share the same track and an all-weather paint system for the outside cranes gives extra protection against the elements.
