Experiencedteam

In anticipation of a building addition, Green Bay Packaging needed to relocate a large existing dust collector. Ahern’s Industrial Service Division was chosen to be in charge of coordinating and engineering the equipment move. This move would involve creating some way of relocating the heavy dust collector, working with an existing fire suppression system, and relocating an extending large duct 60’ in the air during a strict 4-day shutdown.

With experience and field measurements, the collector’s weight (46,000 lbs) and center of gravity were calculated. With the calculated information, a structural cradle and 72”dia. welded duct were fabricated in the Industrial Services Appleton shop and bolted/welded to the dust collector within 10 days prior to the shutdown. The shutdown timeline also posed an issue because it allowed for very little wiggle room for the weather, even with 24-hour crew shifts planned.

Duct, fire suppression, and electrical disconnection started at 6 am on a Friday morning and by 4:30 pm the collector was ready to move. The crane pick was considered a critical lift given the weight and reach, and lifting the collector into its new position went well. By late Saturday afternoon, it had started to snow heavily with high winds. Crews worked through the rough conditions to support and install the ductwork now extending to the new location. By 4 pm Sunday the connections were complete and by Tuesday morning the dust collector and plant were up and running.

Green Bay Packaging management was extremely satisfied with the design, coordination, communication, installation, and was impressed with the expediency and knowledge of Ahern employees.

Expertise Provided

• Industrial Services

Value to Client

Meeting Deadlines

• Project completed within 4 days

Issue Resolution

• Field crew able to install ductwork despite weather conditions

Safety

• No lost-time injuries