Case Study

A rotating-mast stacker crane with 16-second cycles and 0.100-inch accuracy in aerospace heat-treat.

Industry: Aerospace, Transportation

A major US aerospace forging house was expanding heat-treat throughput in a multi-station production cell, where loaded trays carrying high-value forged aerospace parts had to move on a tightly-controlled cycle between a load and unload station, two heat-treat furnaces, and two quench stations. The application demanded both speed and precision. Each tray had to travel up to 50 feet within 16 seconds, pickup to set-down, with positioning accuracy held to 0.100 inches at every drop point. Anything slower compromised quench timing and part metallurgy. Anything less accurate risked tray-fork misalignment with the furnace doors and the quench station forks. The entire automated cell had to meet OSHA, CMAA, and NEC safety standards across three load and unload positions with shared operator access.

Han-Tek delivered a custom overhead semi-automated rotating-mast stacker crane built around four independent servo-controlled motions, all integrated through Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and ControlNet, and rated to CMAA Class F (Continuous Severe Service), the highest CMAA service classification.

Their Challenge:

Move loaded heat-treat trays through a multi-station aerospace heat-treat cell (three load and unload stations, two furnaces, two quench stations) with no manual intervention and no margin for error on cycle timing.
Hit a critical 16-second cycle time to move a tray 50 feet, pickup to set-down, with positioning accuracy to within 0.100 inches at every drop point.
Service furnaces on both sides of the production cell using a single rotating-mast crane with continuous 360-degree polar rotation and a vertical-travel mast capable of clearing furnace doors during transit.
Maintain consistent quench cycle timing to ensure every part met aerospace metallurgical specifications, with no part-to-part variation introduced by handling delays.
Work within the customer’s existing 60-foot-span runway structure (after rail replacement) while integrating new safety guarding, three automated load and unload sliding gates, and Sick Optic S3000 programmable scanners across all access points.
Coordinate with the customer’s heat-treat process steps (hood and center-post tray assembly, fan-station test cycles, tray flatness inspections) so the new crane could be commissioned without disrupting in-flight production work in the cell.

Our Solution:

Han-Tek delivered a custom overhead semi-automated rotating-mast stacker crane system built around four independent servo-controlled motions: bridge (servo with positive-drive sprocket and chain, 450 FPM, 3.3 ft/sec/sec acceleration), trolley (servo, 200 FPM), vertical travel (servo-driven Acme screw with linear guides, 3-foot lift, forks that accommodate tray heat during dwell), and polar rotation (servo-driven slewing bearing, 360-degree continuous, 2 RPM).
The crane is rated to CMAA Class F “Continuous Severe Service,” the highest CMAA classification, with a 3,000-pound capacity at the forks and ISO 9001:2000 build standards. Bridge wheels are 12-inch diameter forged steel running on the customer’s existing 60-foot-span runway after Han-Tek replaced the rails.
All four servo motions are coordinated through an Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 1756 PLC with dedicated motion modules and a ControlNet card in the crane’s ground panel. Operator control is provided via a PanelView Plus 1250 touchscreen on a dedicated automation console, plus a radio remote for local moves (replacing the originally-proposed tethered pendant for safer access at the cell).
The safety architecture covers the full cell perimeter with expanded-metal guarding: three load and unload stations with automated sliding gates, two safety mats on each station’s sides, a Sick Optic S3000 programmable scanner across the front of every station, a bi-sliding interlocked truck door for fork-truck access, and a dedicated mandoor, all engineered to meet OSHA, CMAA, and NEC standards.
Spanguard continuous 250-amp conductor-bar runway electrification (one-piece, no splices) supplies the cell, with a Han-Tek-supplied transformer converting 575V building power to the 480V the servo motors require. Standard power supply is 480/3/60 with 110/1/60 control circuit.
Han-Tek developed custom production-tracking software that monitors cycle times across the cell, giving the customer continuous data to identify further process improvements. The system was designed for future modifications, with an operator user interface engineered to support cell-level changes as production requirements evolve.
Han-Tek acted as single-point project manager across a multi-vendor build: ACE World Companies (end trucks), EMH (bridge girder), Horizon Solutions and Rockwell (servo drives and motors), Kaydon (slewing bearing), Stober (gearboxes), Spanguard (electrification), Sick Optic (safety scanners), and Allen-Bradley / Rockwell (controls).

The Results:

16-second cycle time achieved: The system consistently meets the 16-second benchmark to move parts 50 feet, the precision and speed required for aerospace heat-treat metallurgy.
0.100-inch positioning accuracy delivered: Servo-coordinated motion across all four axes lets the crane drop trays at every load station, furnace, and quench station within 0.100 inches, eliminating fork-misalignment risk and operator hand-correction.
Production throughput increased: Full automation of the furnace-to-quench cycle eliminated manual handling delays and increased overall output in the heat-treat cell.
Part quality improved: Consistent automated cycle times in the quench tank ensured uniform cooling across every part, improving aerospace forging quality and reducing variation.
Safety standards met without exceptions: The entire automated operation was designed and commissioned to meet OSHA, CMAA, and NEC standards, with full perimeter guarding, automated sliding gates, safety mats, and Sick Optic programmable safety scanners across all access points.
Continued partnership across the parent group: Han-Tek’s work for this aerospace forging house extends a multi-year relationship Han-Tek has built with the customer’s parent organization and its sister subsidiaries, with related crane projects at other facilities running before and after this installation.

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