Rigging and Setting of Geminis Lathe GM7

MEI CHARLOTTE RIGGING SERVICES TEAM SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY INSTALLS GEMINIS LATHE GM7 INTO MEDICAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY

The MEI rigging services team in Charlotte, NC were brought on to a project to transport and set in place a machine the first of its kind in the United States. The Geminis Lathe GM7 arrived at the port of Charleston, SC and from there made the 127-mile travel to Florence, SC. In a wood shipping crate, the Geminis GM7 weighed 117,731 lbs. and was approximately 43.64’ L x 15.42’ W x 13.52’ H requiring heavy haul transportation services. With an escort and bucket truck for tree trimming, the trip took 9 hours to job site.

Prior to the arrival of the machine, MEI had to devise a plan to be able to get the machine into the medical manufacturing facility. Teams created a hole in the building wall to be able to get the machine in, along with a dock to be able to set the machine on and skate into the building.

PRECISE RIGGING SERVICES

Once on job site, the MEI rigging services crew had two cranes pick the 117,731 lbs. wood crate off the trailer and then uncrate the machine. Two cranes were utilized due to a center of gravity issue the customer had faced overseas. Once uncrated, the crew picked the machine back up with the cranes and placed onto a 6 axle Goldhofer trailer so they could safely move the piece across uneven terrain onto the dock they created. Once on the dock, the MEI team skated the piece into the building and centered the machine to the foundation.

The crew then used a 4-post gantry to lift the machine and began the 46-anchor system installation process. Once anchor bolts were hung, precise placement was required of the machine. The Geminis Lathe GM7 was lowered to the foundation with the concrete foundations level near perfection for shimming.

Weather was not in the crew’s favor with constant rain and lightning delays, but the MEI rigging crew completed the project in 4 days, while they had planned for this project to take 5 days. Handling sensitive equipment such as the Geminis Lathe GM7 is what MEI riggers do day in and day out. Learn more about our rigging services.