Innovation: R-Tech preloading technology
R-TECH has been active in the design and production of transport racks for the precast concrete industry since 1998. The transport racks are customized to allow the use of inloader technology or flatbed trucks. The R-TECH preloading system enables maximum improvement of both the production capacity and quality of production.
Challenge
It is common practice today to build highly efficient production lines and production plants, and to contract out a major portion of transport, along with the transport racks, by entering into long-term contracts with transport companies. Transport companies capable of offering these services are faced with fierce price competition and are given long-term contracts only if they can make a cost-effective offer. Cost savings can only be achieved by purchasing cheap tools – in this case, transport racks – which usually gives rise to a less than optimum situation. Cheap transport racks manufactured without the necessary expertise pose an increased risk of injury for the operating personnel. In addition, they cause damage to the precast elements to an intolerable extent entailing considerable consequential costs.
R-TECH transport pallets in user-optimized design
To ensure that no consequential costs are incurred in the first place, R-TECH’s primary approach is to fully customize the transport equipment to the products and technical possibilities of the production plants.
Transport racks are a primary tool for the economical production of precast concrete elements. Staff is working with this tool every day and every hour so that optimum handling must be an integral part of quality management. This is the only way to prevent, to the greatest extent possible, accidents and the consequential costs described above.
R-TECH solutions include: 1) integrated support system to prevent the transport racks from tipping over; 2) modular, collapsibledesigns enabling economical return transports and reducing storage requirements; 3) high-tech coatings of steel security elements that are largely resistant to destruction and effectively protect the surface of the precast concrete elements against coming into direct contact with steel; 4) set-down pallets (swap body system) of special design for the transport of precast concrete elements, and so on; 5) tipping test for stability testing.
Potential applications: every facility not yet optimized in this area, that is, at least 70 % of the active production plants.
