Balvika
Reducing overhead crane dependency
A plastics manufacturer had a modern factory with multiple injection moulding machines and an overhead crane for heavy loads — but the crane was being used for almost everything, including small jobs like lifting moulds and moving materials between workstations.
We noticed this created an unnecessary bottleneck: every crane movement needed coordination, a trained operator and safety precautions, and using an expensive asset for small, frequent jobs meant extra operating hours and potential wear on equipment that should have been reserved for genuinely heavy lifts.
Keep the overhead crane for the jobs that really need one. For everything else, we introduced a mix of simpler equipment: battery-operated mobile floor cranes at individual moulding machines, semi-electric stackers for lifting and positioning at other stations, and hand pallet trucks for routine horizontal movement of palletised material.
With a relatively small additional investment, the customer significantly reduced overhead crane dependence for routine handling. The crane stayed free for genuinely heavy, critical lifts; waiting time for smaller moves dropped; and shop-floor workers could handle everyday material movement independently after basic training. A ₹10,000 job shouldn't unnecessarily occupy a ₹10 lakh asset.
Share your load, height, distance, application or even a photo/video of the problem. Our team will help identify a practical material handling solution.