Part of our job is really learning about our client and their business. This does not only mean understanding their needs and wants, but their business processes and their history. This week’s Tough Job is our recent work with Ball Corporation, which required us to dive deep into their history in order to serve their company’s future.
Ball Corporation- History
Ball Corporation’s founding dates back even further than ours, beginning in 1880, when five brothers started with a $200 loan from their Uncle George in Buffalo, New York. The brothers originally started making tin cans encased in wooden jackets to hold kerosene, paints, or varnishes. They soon expanded to glass and took off with what they are best known for: their production of glass jars, lids, and related products for home canning. Ball no longer manufactures the famous canning jars, but has grown and become the world’s largest manufacturer of recyclable metal beverage and food containers.
We have been lucky enough to team up with such amazing well preserved (pardon the pun) company to help construct their manufacturing facilities in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, where the facility produces aluminum cans for various beverage companies.
In order to be successful, we learned about Ball’s manufacturing, including how they precisely lay out their manufacturing facilities to streamline their workflow. Our team performed several structural facility modifications, including complete installation of three palletizer lines for automation of packaging cans, keeping Ball rolling at its desired pace.
What is a Palletizer Line?
A palletizer line is a machine that provides automatic means for stacking goods or products onto a pallet. Manually taking products/boxes from a conveyor belt and placing them on pallets can be time consuming and expensive, as well as stressful for workers. Palletizers have an “arm tool” that allows it to grab the product from a conveyor and position in onto a pallet.
We completed the installation of each palletizer line a week early, which meant that Ball Corp could get back to producing cans faster, saving them time and money.
How did we do this?
Our team used cutting-edge laser scanning to create a digital map of the whole job site. We were able to send this data straight to the steel fabricator, allowing for fast and incredibly accurate communication. Along with close coordination with mechanical and electrical work for the conveyance system, this made JP Cullen quick, efficient, and safe, pulling this job ahead of schedule three times in a row.
Want to know more?
Check out our case study on this job!
