[INNOVATIONS]
Agricultural applications: Farmers can easily install the Dura-Lite™ spreader beam on their jib to make repairs and get back in the fields.
Manufacturing: Lightweight Dura-Lite™ beams are easily changed from one crane to another by one man in this high-volume steel processing area.
FRP HAS PROVEN TO BE STRONGER THAN STEEL WHILE REDUCING WEIGHT UP TO 75%. “IT’S SIGNIFICANTLY LIGHTER THAN ITS STEEL EQUIVALENT.”
during the testing process – our beams never failed.” Troughout the development of these breakthrough
products, Caldwell itself was undergoing its own evolution. In early 2013 Caldwell announced it would be moving from its 3 building 50,000 square foot headquarters into a 90,000 sq. ft manufacturing facility not far from its original location. Te 100% employee owned company already produces a wide array of products for a variety of applications – serving the high- tech aerospace industry as readily as basic construction applications. Stitt and his team saw the move as strategy; housing all of their employees under one massive roof rather than spread throughout three buildings provided them with a more stable environment to focus on their customer’s needs. By keeping their focus on expanding the variety of their offerings they readied themselves for the chance to help the industry adapt. Tey completed their move to the new space this past
July – while their composite spreader and beams were well into testing phases. “We did a lot of testing to confirm the strength of the beam assemblies,” Mongan says. “Along with that we’ve tested it in a wide variety of environments: cold and hot applications, acid and chemical testing, as
well as destructive testing. It’s been a real team effort.” Stitt added, “What we’ve done to develop this product line is extensive.” Now that the bulk of the testing has taken place,
Caldwell is excited to bring its products to the market. Te new facility also gives Caldwell the opportunity to keep stock of the product line in-house and ready for same day shipping. Luckily, the new material has opened up avenues for them to do so quickly. Te lack of weight has allowed Caldwell to set up a program with a small package service for new purchasers of the composite lifting and spreader beams to ship models that are 8 ft. and under with same-day shipping – sans hefty freight charges. In an industry where the immediate necessity for such equipment on-site is hindered by the plodding nature of shipping heavy freight, this is a great development. Even with these endless advantages, Stitt and
Caldwell’s promotion of the lifters is very hands-on with their customer base. Tey recognize the fact that the industry may be slow to adapt. Stitt remains unshaken by skepticism. “We’ve done extensive testing internally – a huge amount of promotion at trade shows as well as at customer locations for training and orientation.” With
WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE JULY-AUGUST 2015 31
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