New overhead cranes for US automation supplier

Three five-ton capacity overhead cranes have been installed at a JR Automation / Setpoint facility where the design, engineering, and integration of robotic systems and custom amusement attractions occurs. Overhead crane and hoist manufacturer R&M Materials Handling and its distributor Hoj Innovations, of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, combined to deliver a solution for a recent expansion project.

At the Ogden, Utah facility, JR Automation / Setpoint uses a variety of material handling equipment as part of their everyday production. JR Automation / Setpoint designs, builds, and integrates advanced automation solutions for automotive, aerospace, energy, and other industrial customers throughout the world.

The company says it relies on state-of-the-art cranes and hoists to meet the ever-increasing demands of customers including Universal Studios, Disney, Target, and Amazon.

Jerry LeBaron, senior engineering projects manager at Hoj Innovations, explained that JR Automation / Setpoint needed additional cranes due to increasing workload projections.

Steve Schultz, facilities & safety manager at JR Automation / Setpoint, added that the cranes were required to support increasing production and to provide reliable lifting and positioning of heavy materials that was safer and more efficient than alternative methods and technologies. Two cranes were to be installed on a new, 260 ft.-long runway, which was also part of the contract, and one on an existing runway at the site.

Hoj Innovations has worked with JR Automation / Setpoint in the past. Hoj has been a long-time provider of service and support on the facility’s material handling equipment and as a supplier and integrator of conveyor systems utilised on previous projects.

For this specific project, five-ton capacity top-running, single-girder crane kits were provided by R&M Materials Handling and installed by Hoj Innovations. The cranes, which span 47 ft. 9 in. and offer 21 ft. of lift, have R&M’s SX low-headroom wire rope hoists, which help to maximise the lifting height of each system.

Kimberly Cromwell, regional sales manager at R&M, stated that Hoj Innovations chose to incorporate R&M modular crane kits for the project not only because they were able to reduce the overall cost to the customer due to the efficiency of the assembly and installation of the crane components but they also knew that JR Automation / Setpoint would appreciate the quality of the equipment and the extreme ease of use of the overall crane systems.

In July 2021, three new cranes were installed by Hoj Innovations in the facility — two on the new runway and one on an existing runway. Schultz said that the overhead cranes can travel in narrow aisles or corridors and can move in multiple directions. This enables efficient movement of materials through spaces that are too small for floor-based movers, such as forklifts. Hoj Innovations also provided operator training and after-sales support as part of the three-crane project.