Specialist Generator Installation Using Gantry System
Specialist Generator Installation Using Gantry System
Finch of Bookham recently completed a specialist lift to move and install a large generator, attenuation unit and silencer. Our team were faced with several technical challenges: restricted access, a level -2 basement plant room, a structural soft spot and the requirement to accurately position heavy equipment within a confined space. Specialist lifting equipment and careful planning were crucial to overcoming these challenges and completing a safe and successful installation.
Our SL60 Gantry System enabled our team to safely lift, side-shift and lower the generator where conventional lifting equipment alone would not have provided the required level of control.
Once the delivery vehicle had been positioned, our team rigged the generator using heavy-duty lifting slings, oversized bow shackles and a master link before carefully lifting it from the transport vehicle. The generator was then slewed through 90 degrees and lowered through the building opening onto 12-tonne machine skates, allowing it to be transferred into position beneath our gantry system.
Precision Lifting with the SL60 Gantry System
With the generator safely positioned beneath the gantry, our engineers assembled and configured the SL60 Gantry System using four 5-tonne electric chain blocks mounted on side-shift beams. This arrangement provided complete control of the load while working within the restricted basement environment.
After the lifting beams were positioned, the generator was connected using oversized lifting slings and shackles before being carefully raised clear of the machine skates.
One of the major advantages of the SL60 Gantry System was its ability to side-shift the suspended load. This allowed our operators to safely transfer the generator across the structural soft spot without imposing unnecessary loading on the surrounding floor, something that would have been extremely difficult using conventional lifting methods.
Once clear of the opening, the gantry system was used to lower the generator into the level -2 basement with complete control before landing it onto machine skates. Our rigging team then skated the generator into the plant room using a forklift as a controlled mechanical aid before hydraulic toe jacks were used to remove the skates and lower the unit accurately onto its permanent foundations.
Completing the Installation
Following the generator installation, our lifting team unloaded and positioned the attenuation unit before repeating the process for the silencer. Each component was transported safely into the basement and accurately lifted onto the client’s supporting steelwork, where it was held securely while the installation team completed the final fixings.
After all equipment had been successfully installed, our team dismantled the SL60 Gantry System and removed all lifting equipment, completing the project safely and efficiently.
Specialist Gantry Lifting Solutions
Projects such as this demonstrate why Finch of Bookham continues to be trusted for lifting services throughout the UK.
Our SL60 Gantry System enables us to carry out lifting operations in locations where cranes or forklifts alone are unable to safely position equipment. Combined with our experienced Lift Supervisors, CPCS-qualified operators and specialist rigging teams, it allows us to deliver precise heavy lifting solutions within restricted buildings, basements, factories and plant rooms.
