Bretagne Manutention, a Verlinde partner and a 30-year supplier of handling equipment to a Mayenne cheese dairy plant that was suffering numerous maintenance problems with their chain hoists for a cheese brining process, was able to offer them a tailor-made solution. Bretagne Manutention, part of the Fenwick Group, specializes in the sale and maintenance of handling equipment such as forklift trucks, electric pallet trucks, and aerial platforms. Their head office, located in Rennes, and the 8 branches spread across Brittany and Mayenne, comprise 200 people. Some branches employ lifting equipment specialists, a know-how preserved from the time when Fenwick offered hoists, and work in partnership with Verlinde. This is the case of the Laval branch, which has been working for 30 years in a cheese dairy plant for the maintenance and equipment of handling products, which have around fifty items.

The Mayennaise cheese plant, which produces several varieties of cheese, is equipped with a brining room. This process consists of soaking the cheeses in a brine bath so that they absorb the salt. The room has seven dipping tanks, each equipped with a hoist that handles the cheese-filled trays. These are soaked in the brine baths in several stages, then sent to the maturing cellar. The cheese plant used chain hoists from a rival manufacturer, but had problems with corrosion on the lifting chains despite regular lubrication. This oxidation was causing numerous production stoppages. During a customer visit, Dominique Denou, Sales Manager, Bretagne Manutention Laval, with his long experience in the food industry, recommended Verlinde EUROLIFT BH electric belt hoists to replace those using traditional chain hoist technology.

 Hoists for the food industry environment offer perfect cleanliness of operations to meet the most stringent hygiene requirements

Verlinde EUROLIFT BH electric belt hoists meet the strictest hygiene standards in the food industry. The special feature of these hoists is that they are equipped with a high-strength, rot-proof lifting belt, and a dirt-free guide system for use in all kinds of environments. The mechanically variable 2-speed lift motor and the 2-speed steering motor, together with the perfectly sealed gearbox, provide the precise and silent movement of loads from 500 to 5,000 kg.

 A customized adaptation

The industrialist asked Bretagne Manutention for a complete study, as he wanted to optimize the entire lifting solution to increase the load capacities of his hoists from 1,000 kg to 1,200 kg. Verlinde assisted Bretagne Manutention with these offers. In addition to optimizing the lifting part, the project also involved specific structural constraints: as a general rule, a EUROLIFT BH hoist moves on an IPN rail, but the configuration of the brine room did not allow the hoist enough travel with this type of rail. The existing structure had to be changed and the loads of the suspended structure recalculated, which was expensive, or the hoists had to be adapted. Verlinde proposed to move the hoist motor to a different location in order to gain height and thus reuse the existing galvanized hollow section rails.

 Increased production capacity and hygiene

The first EUROLIFT BH hoist was installed in 2020. Within three months, the test proved successful: maintenance and lubrication operations were reduced and corrosion problems were eliminated. The other six hoists were then replaced, reducing breakdowns and production downtime. The installation is maintained by Bretagne Manutention Maintenance. Monitoring is regular, with a visit every six months. Denou says, “Since the installation of the first EUROLIFT BH hoist, our customer has expressed satisfaction with the improvement in hygiene and the reduction in downtime due to corrosion. We have continued to assist them, particularly in the adjustment of the belt and the various settings according to the constraints. Providing solutions is the strength of the installer.”

He adds, “Verlinde was present throughout the project, even when it came to choosing the most suitable belt and its adjustments. That makes all the difference with a supplier like Verlinde, who offers premium solutions and is able to provide assistance right till the end. This way, everybody works in confidence.”

For more information: www.verlinde.com