R&M Materials Handling installs 3 overhead cranes at Boxabl

18 May 2022

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R&M Materials Handling and its distributor American Equipment has partnered with Boxabl, manufacturer of prefabricated homes, to increase efficiency at its factory in Las Vegas.

Boxabl uses assembly line principles and new building materials to produce upscale houses at a fast rate and low cost. The homes can be delivered on a flatbed truck and built the same day.

Its Casita model includes a full-size kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom, and retails from $49,500. Fully stackable and modifiable,

The Boxabl units can be configured for residential and commercial use. Its speed of construction optimizes cash flow for owners as it eradicates the long lead times normally associated with new home construction. This also makes Boxabl ideal for emergency responses to disasters, such as floods.

With more than 47,000 people on its waiting list, Boxabl’s first factory had to be as efficient as possible, so that production could meet demand.

The company needed an efficient overhead crane system to optimize its automated assembly line operations, where it manufactures panels comprised of steel, insulation and concrete, which become the walls, floor and roof of the modular home.

The cranes were needed to expedite the transportation, assembly and folding of the Casita units. This includes moving different sized boards to be assembled into panels and then assembling larger panels into houses. In addition, the cranes needed to be reliable, safe, and easy to use.

American Equipment recommended three 7.5-ton capacity top-running, single girder cranes from R&M Materials Handling. The cranes, which span 47ft 7ins and provide 25ft of lift, feature R&M’s SX low headroom wire rope hoists, which help to maximize the lifting height of each system.

 “The cranes have been a huge help and an absolute necessity for our production. They facilitate the transportation, assembly and folding functionality of our units, even down to dropping a custom-built boat-wrap cover over the top of the units to protect them during shipping,” said Josiah Fannon, production manager, Boxabl.

“They are used daily for a very large portion of each day. The controls are well marked and are easy to use, the crane itself is marked out with the directions of travel to make guiding it simple. It also has some great safety features such as a warning strobe light to alert when the crane is in motion and collision sensors to prevent any of the three units from colliding with one or another.”