Steel handling in production line made easier

Mobicon container handlers have been used in the global steel industry for over 15 years, to enhance the efficiency and safety of handling components like steel reinforced bars.

These versatile machines are used efficiently in many industries, including transport and logistics, food and beverage production, agriculture and warehousing.

Companies specialising in the manufacture of steel for reinforced concrete, traditionally face three major challenges – the safe loading of steel, efficient dispatch of product and the prohibitive costs of handling steel using conventional trailers.

“Mobicon straddle carriers, coupled with flat racks, provide a safe, convenient and cost-efficient solution to alleviate the problems of handling reinforced steel. In conventional handling, steel that comes off a bending or cutting machine, is transported by overhead crane to the dispatch area and then loaded onto a delivery vehicle,” says materials handling equipment supplier BLT WORLD MD Ken Mouritzen.

Loading steel onto a vehicle bed that is 1.5 m off the ground is dangerous and if the vehicle is not ready to be loaded, the steel is placed on the ground to wait for the next available vehicle. Disadvantages of this system include double handling, the need for a large area of ground space and extended crane hours.

As a consequence, production may need to stop or slow down, until the steel has been safely loaded, to make space in the dispatch area for more steel.

“Mobicon straddle carriers are fitted with flat racks that are loaded with steel that comes straight from production. This handling system is highly efficient – the Mobicon can safely lift over 1.6 m loads, which are transported to the dispatch area and placed onto a delivery vehicle.”

Mouritzen notes that when a vehicle returns from doing a delivery, the Mobicon takes the empty flat rack off the vehicle and places the next loaded flat rack onto the vehicle. The Mobicon returns empty flat racks to the storage area for neat stacking. The delivery vehicle's turnaround time is minimal, which means it can do more deliveries each day.

“So, basically, the Mobicon and flat rack system becomes a buffer between the production and transport sections of a steel business, allowing manufacturers to get volume safely out the door, without disruption. “There are many benefits of using the Mobicon system – flat racks are cheaper than trailers and empty flat racks can be stacked to save space.