ASBECO Delivers Massive Electrical Installation Project in Extreme Conditions
A leading conveyor integrator recently completed a dramatic upgrade for a foodservice distribution facility in Atlanta, GA. The prime contractor was hired based on their reputation for specialized material handling solutions and they boast that they deliver complete design, manufacturing, integration, and installation of conveyor systems. As they examined the scope of work and project schedule, they realized that they would need an installation team who equaled or exceeded their own capabilities and they turned to ASBECO of Alpharetta, GA, for electrical installation support.
ASBECO has built a similar reputation in the project delivery space, frequently taking on the most difficult projects. Tight schedules, complex project materials management, difficult work environments, and concurrent facility operation are all challenges that ASBECO deals with every day. They also work well in a variety of contract situations, and they frequently support third party conveyor integrators like this one. This project would challenge even ASBECO as the project featured not one of those challenging aspects but every one of them.
Skilled tradespeople would be the boots on the ground for ASBECO but the detailed activities of the company’s renowned project managers ensured project success. Their project managers have earned a reputation for successful installation, and they ensure that project milestones are met within budget and with a keen eye towards safety considerations during installation. The condensed timeline of this project along with the materials required challenged even them.
In the face of a challenging four-month end-to-end project timeline, the ASBECO team delivered sixteen (16) installation-ready control panels. These panels supported more than 650 system conveyors which would move products through or to induction operations, coolers and freezers transport, merging and consolidation locations on multiple floors, sortation areas, cross-dock and cross-slapper lines, grocery pick areas, and after-sort lanes. In addition to the major panels, ASBECO supplied critical field-side components synonymous with conveyor integration including start/stop stations, pull cord controls, photo eyes and reflectors, beacons and alarm horns, and various pressure and chain slack detection devices.
The ASBECO team skillfully handled the electrical installation, placing and wiring the main control panels and field devices at a rapid pace. This included not only standard warehouse installation conditions but also extensive work inside of coolers and freezers, all while existing equipment continued to run. Their field teams connected equipment immediately as it arrived, frequently working near other discipline staff and the existing plant equipment. Project managers handled procurement and staging, as expected, and they crafted a schedule that matched the project requirements and protected their teams from the site’s harsh environmental conditions.
The project challenged the entire ASBECO team and their abilities to procure and deliver a large variety of industry hardware. Ultimately, they successfully delivered a huge project with electrical installation efforts exceeding a million dollars in just over a calendar quarter. The prime contractor was able to deploy their own warehouse automation and management solution on the infrastructure that was placed by the ASBECO installation team. Once again, ASBECO showed why they have earned the reputation that they have in the integrated conveyor community, and the end customer enjoyed their on-time opening of this major expansion.