Manitowoc EnCORE partner H&E Equipment Services’ (H&E) crane remanufacturing and structural repair business has witnessed several years of success. To accommodate future growth, the company recently opened brand new Crane Remanufacturing and Structural Repair Centers in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, and they are already generating a huge return on investment for customers.
In March, H&E wrapped up the complete remanufacturing of a Manitowoc 4600 dragline crawler for Chicago, Illinois-based United States Gypsum Company, subsidiary of USG. United States Gypsum Company’s manufacturing plant in Sweetwater, Texas, had been using a similar Manitowoc 4600 for mining raw gypsum from the ground to eventually produce its well-known USG Sheetrock® Brand Gypsum Panels, but the aging crane required replacement to restore productivity.
Manitowoc no longer produces the 4600, nor a dragline crawler crane like it, leaving United States Gypsum with two options: find some sort of replacement equipment that might not match the 4600’s ideal functionality, or remanufacture a similar used 4600 crane to enhance ROI, and maintain overall operator familiarity with the machine and its capabilities. In order to maintain current mill production levels, United States Gypsum and H&E chose to source a second Manitowoc 4600 as a core machine for the remanufacturing process, allowing continued use of the company’s current 4600.
The project to overhaul the 4600 reflects a core value of both Manitowoc EnCORE service and H&E: To maximize return on investment for all crane customers and to ensure customers are satisfied with their capital purchases.
“This crane is for all practical purposes a new machine – structurally, mechanically and cosmetically,” said Tony Gugliuzza, H&E Belle Chasse crane reman manager. “Our goal at H&E is to ensure each EnCORE remanufactured crane will provide the owner with an entire new crane lifecycle of dependable service. Our 40 years of crane remanufacturing experience, coupled with support from the Manitowoc EnCORE Team, allows us to provide remanufacturing as a cost-effective alternative and valuable service to our customers. We are very proud of our employees and the quality of their work, as evidenced by the final results in USG’s 4600 crane.”
In addition to the top-to-bottom EnCORE remanufacturing of the 4600, H&E undertook several actions to upgrade the crane:
- Installation of a new generation, programmable auto lube system where all lube lines routed throughout the machine are fabricated from stainless steel, and tubing that eliminates 174 manual grease points over the entire crane (saving considerable time and labor costs over the life of the machine)
- Piping of 11 remaining grease points to four separate panels that can be serviced with minimal time and effort
- Installation of a new generation, high-volume, self -contained air conditioning unit that is powered by the machine’s new increased-capacity, 24 volt system
- Addition of a complete on-board, dual-chemical fire-suppression system
- Assurance of MSHA compliance, with updated hand rails, adjustable access ladders, fall prevention guards, bail service platforms and maintenance access safety steps
- Installation of side mirrors, a full front cab guard and three CCVC cameras that allow the operator to monitor the rear and left blind spots of the crane with a 72-degree interior view of the upper machine on a 15 inch split-screen display monitor
- A custom, ultra-high-gloss, highly chemical-resistant paint finish in USG’s new brand corporate colors of crimson red, medium grey and gloss black. In all, 12 mills of a three-part paint system were applied, starting with an inorganic zinc base coat.
“Being sustainable across the lifecycle of our products and operations is an important goal at USG. We actively look for opportunities to reduce, reuse, or recycle resources when possible, and the remanufacturing of the dragline crawler is a unique example of how we are continuously looking for ways to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Jeff Grimland, USG plant manager for Sweetwater.
The remanufacture of the 4600 is the third remanufacturing project of a Manitowoc 4600 completed at H&E’s new Crane Remanufacturing Center, where all three cranes have been given a second, full lifecycle. USG’s remanufactured 4600 crane was placed into service in late March and United States Gypsum Company reports that it is performing up to their expectations on the job site.
Features of H&E’s Crane Remanufacturing Center:
- Manitowoc EnCORE certified
- Six large service bays, each equipped with 10 t (11 USt) capacity overhead cranes
- A 75 t (83) USt capacity industrial gantry crane
- It accommodates up to six crane remanufacturing projects at one time
- Strategic location on the Intercoastal Waterway near the Mississippi River with access to the Gulf of Mexico
