Houston OCTG looks to NAI for Cranes

These double-girder cranes will be used in Houston’s manufacturing process, which includes pipe threading, heat treatment and inspection. They will also be used to load and unload raw materials. Each crane will have two five-ton hoists bolted direc

(I-Newswire) April 6, 2010 - North American Industries (NAI) has been selected to design and install two 10-ton Class E top-running overhead cranes for Houston OCTG Group Inc. (Houston). Houston, a wholly-owned subsidiary of WSP Holdings Limited, headquarted in Jiangsu Province, China, manufactures specialty tubing and castings used to transport crude oil and natural gas from an oil or gas layer to the earth’s surface during the drilling process.

Houston asked NAI to inspect the existing cranes in its 1,350 foot long Houston, TX-based facility. After thorough inspection by and extensive consultation with NAI technical personnel, Houston management decided to invest in new cranes. Houston also chose to replace the existing, worn rail to avoid premature damage to the new cranes. Based upon NAI’s recommendation, Houston’s engineering department and project manager chose heavier-duty Class E cranes because they must be capable of handling over 20 lifts per hour.

These double-girder cranes will be used in Houston’s manufacturing process, which includes pipe threading, heat treatment and inspection. They will also be used to load and unload raw materials. Each crane will have two five-ton hoists bolted directly to a 10-ton trolley. The trolley will move along the 79-foot bridge beam, and the entire crane will move along the 1,350-foot runway system.

Lena Banigan, Project Manager/Assistant VP at Houston, states, “NAI has not only been a pleasure to work with but has also provided service to meet our deadlines. In business, time is critical to advancement, and NAI has been truly accommodating."

“We are pleased to be working with Houston OCTG to meet its overhead lifting needs. We have collaborated closely with Houston’s engineers and senior management to design a system tailored to meet its unique requirements,” comments Craig Pelkola, Director of Technical Sales at North American Industries

Dan Osborn, Engineering Manager at North American Industries, adds, “The project has gone smoothly. We assembled a team of engineers, project managers, operations personnel and field technicians to carefully oversee the design, manufacture and installation of the equipment”

NAI is a leading manufacturer of industrial overhead cranes, including bridge cranes, gantry cranes, monorails, jib cranes, and custom-engineered systems. With its large, experienced engineering group, technical sales force and over 40 years of manufacturing expertise, the Company is well-positioned to handle the needs of a diverse range of end users. NAI designs, manufactures and installs crane components and crane systems for the military and municipalities as well as large and small operating businesses on a global basis. North American Industries maintains a membership in the Material handling Industry of America (MHIA) and the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), and its crane systems are frequently featured in Hoist and Overhead Crane & Hoist magazines.