Degenkolb provided design and shop fabrication details for an overhead pallet conveyor system to support a changeover to a new model year car in an existing body shop. To accelerate the schedule, we used as many common modules as possible, sending a hundred standard pieces to the shop at the beginning of the project and adding bespoke holes and connection material as they were placed in the yet-developing layout. The system even included a double-deck return area with conveyors stacked as tightly as possible to maximize space in the plant.
Our team also designed several truss cuts and a column removal to increase headroom and provide floor space for process flexibility, and provided design and detailing for service rails at repair areas and over conveyor motors. The project received a Tekla North America BIM Award for its novel use of detailing and custom components that our team developed to streamline the intricate detailing of clamp, tee, and end stop components specific to the automotive system.
