Minimizing Production Loss with Rapid Crane Installation for Paint Shop Relocation

Industry:
Automotive Manufacturing

About the Customer:
A major player in the automotive industry, this company’s manufacturing facility includes a highly specialized Paint and Coating Business Unit (PCBU) that handles the painting of body-in-white (BIW) units after they come off the welding line. Any disruption in paint shop operations would halt downstream production, making uninterrupted functioning of this unit critical to maintaining production schedules and minimizing losses.

The Backdrop:
In 2008-09, safety concerns emerged within the paint shop at the Pimpri PCBU facility, prompting a plan to relocate the entire paint shop for reconstruction. The relocation and reconstruction, estimated to take approximately six months, raised a major challenge: the paint shop’s temporary unavailability threatened to halt production, potentially leading to significant revenue losses, as nearly half of the annual production could be impacted.

To mitigate the risk, the company implemented a temporary solution—outsourcing the paint operations to an external facility. This required transporting the BIWs via trucks to a different site for painting and then bringing them back for further processing. However, the new logistics required an efficient method to load and unload BIWs quickly and safely, within the space constraints of the temporary dispatch area.

The Challenge:
Key challenges for this project included:

  • Preventing Production Loss: The company needed a reliable, rapid solution to maintain production flow and avoid substantial losses due to supply chain adjustments.
  • Space Constraints: The BIW dispatch area had limited headroom, requiring an overhead lifting solution optimized to work within these constraints.
  • Urgent Timeline: Given the critical nature of production, the company needed a solution within an exceptionally short timeframe of 8 days.

The Solution:
Given the urgency and unique requirements of the temporary setup, Sparkline proposed a specially designed underslung crane with a 2-ton capacity, tailored to address the limited headroom in the dispatch area.

Sparkline’s approach included:

  1. Optimized Crane Design: After an in-depth assessment of the space and operational needs, Sparkline designed an underslung crane with a low headroom configuration to maximize lifting height. This crane allowed safe and efficient loading and unloading of BIWs within the tight spatial constraints.
  2. Rapid Manufacturing and Installation: Sparkline’s stock availability of hoists and travel drives, combined with its streamlined manufacturing capabilities, enabled the crane girder to be produced in just 4-5 days. Installation and commissioning of the crane were completed in less than 48 hours, with the entire project— from order receipt to handover—achieved in a record-breaking 8 days.

This swift execution helped the customer mitigate production losses during the paint shop reconstruction and allowed uninterrupted BIW processing.

A Statement of Overall Benefit:
Sparkline’s solution provided the customer with a rapid and cost-effective way to adapt to the temporary supply chain changes without significant production loss. The optimized crane design maximized available headroom and provided an efficient loading/unloading system, ensuring minimal disruption to operations.

Benefits:

  • Minimized Production Loss: By delivering the project in just 8 days, Sparkline significantly reduced the customer’s potential production loss due to paint shop relocation.
  • Cost Savings through Optimized Space Utilization: Sparkline’s underslung crane solution was installed in the existing facility, eliminating the need for additional infrastructure and the associated costs.
  • Efficient and Safe Material Handling: The custom design allowed for smooth BIW handling within tight space constraints, ensuring safe and continuous workflow during the temporary outsourcing period.

Sparkline’s quick and tailored response to the customer’s needs allowed the company to maintain production continuity, saving both time and resources during a critical period of facility relocation and reconstruction.