40 years of engineering projects in the steel industry
Having operated in the Steel city of Sheffield, UK, for over 40 years, Mayflower Engineering has had a long and proud association with the UK Steel sector. This mechanical handling solution, developed for what was previously Tata Steel, exemplifies the kind of projects that helped establish Mayflower Engineering as an industry-leading supplier of bespoke engineering services.
Mayflower's scope of work
Complete manufacture within a tight timescale
In-house testing prior to install, to ensure there were no issues on site
The Project
The No. 25 and 28 Lathe Peeler Ingoing Tables provided a unique turnkey solution, designed to achieve our client’s vision for a smoother, safer manufacturing process. To enable them to respond to specific customer requirements Tata Steel utilize these peeling machines to turn large steel bars to specific sizes. However, the practice of loading the bars for the peeling machines had historically been performed manually. Tata sought a solution which would enable a more efficient automated process and also eliminate the inherent safety risks of manually maneuvering heavy metal bars.
The Objectives
We were tasked with providing a complete solution, from design to manufacture and installation. The client wanted a fully automated system, one which would require no user input and contribute towards a reliable and consistent manufacturing operation. Adding complexity to the project, Tata needed these systems to be implemented within a very short time frame, as production would be paused whilst the new machinery was installed.
The Solution
We worked in close cooperation with the client to turn their vision into reality and installed a fully automated solution within the extremely tight timescale. In order to prevent issues at installation, both Peeler Ingoing Tables were shop assembled and tested at our factory in Sheffield. We designed these loading tables to process bars of between 210mm to 325mm diameter and from 2.2 m to 12m length with a maximum bar weight of 6 tonnes. The end result was an efficient and reliable loading system for both peeler machines, which also had a positive effect on employee safety at Tata Steel.