South African agricultural machinery manufacturer Rovic is modifying its shop floor workflow to reduce component assembly times, improve staff safety and increase the rate of production.

As the company commissions the construction of a second, larger factory to meet demand, a new production sequencing is to be applied to the company’s large and small grain planter range.

“The approach was unusual: instead of specifying lifting equipment capabilities and then inviting tenders, management instead communicated a willingness to reconsider and radically modify current workflow and assembly sequences, leaving it up to the companies submitting tenders to optimise their proposed solutions,” crane manufacturer Condra Cranes said in a statement.

Three South African companies working in close cooperation – BB Cranes, which took the order, along with iTek Drives and Condra – submitted a joint project under a lifting equipment tender.

Cape Town-based BB Cranes worked closely with the two Johannesburg-based companies, iTek Drives and Condra Cranes, to develop and fine-tune the handling protocol for the winning component-positioning and assembly proposal.

“BB Cranes steered the compilation of the proposal and secured the order, with Condra supplying design office support and cooperating closely with iTek Drives and BB Cranes throughout the design phase.”

BB Cranes’ contract comprises three double- girder electric overhead travelling cranes to be installed in the new Rovic factory under construction in Blackheath, Cape Town.

The manufacture of the three cranes has started, with delivery to be made before the end of this month.

“Key to the improved workflow will be a simplified and very precise positioning of grain-planter components.”

According to Condra, the fixed gantries used for this procedure in the existing factory will not be replicated in the new one, but rather, twin overhead BB cranes fitted with multiple hoists will service the production line to allow simultaneous assembly of various planters without having to move the cranes.

“The old assembly sequence made use of forklifts to move planter components to a number of fixed gantries on an as-and-when-required basis. There, gantry staff positioned and fastened them in a time-consuming process that included fitting up to 53 identical planting units one by one to each machine,” the crane manufacturer points out.

In the new assembly sequence, two identical double-girder overhead cranes spanning the entire 28 m width of the factory floor will service multiple planters arranged in a row, allowing simultaneous assembly of an increased number of machines, and removing from the shop floor the obstruction to movement represented by the fixed gantries.

Multiple hoists fitted to the cranes will work independently to lift and position chassis components and planting units to the various machines.

Precise hoist load positioning will be achieved by Invertek Optidrive variable-speed drives supplied by iTek Drives.