Enerpac gantry and side shifts lift heavy automotive presses

Portuguese heavy lift and specialist transport contractor, LASO Transportes AS, has used a combination of Enerpac SBL500 telescopic hydraulic gantry and side shifts to precisely position two presses weighing up to 160t. Using the side shift allowed the automotive presses to be lifted and positioned in three dimensions to fit reinforced concrete platforms.

Industrial moves are becoming more complex as manufacturers seek to optimise production, while keeping factories as compact as possible to reduce handling times. At the automotive components’ factory, two presses needed to be moved to a new location. LASO used the SBL500 gantry to lift the 70t press and 160t press measuring 10 x 5.5 x 3.1m and skid them onto a waiting trailer.

At the new factory location, each press was skidded into position and rotated on a turntable to correctly orientate it for lifting. The presses had to be positioned on a reinforced concrete platform both supporting and providing a level surface for each press.  LASO then used the SBL500 gantry with side shift units to lift and align the presses with the platform.

Jorge Costa, maintenance manager at LASO Transportes SA says, “Using the Enerpac side shifts gave us the ability to manipulate the press in three dimensions, without this the accuracy of press positioning would have been very difficult. The presses were successfully positioned with a tolerance of just a few millimetres, another efficient lift by the LASO team.”