How a permanent industrial hoist is helping to satisfy Germany’s sweet tooth

Geda has completed the installation of a permanent industrial hoist at a sugar factory in Bavaria, Germany.

The specialist access equipment manufacturer was commissioned by food commodities company Südzucker Group to provide the new personnel and equipment transport platform for silo maintenance at its factory Rain am Lech.

The GEDA SH 500 industrial hoist installed at Südzucker Group’s Rain am Lech sugar factory in Germany. (PHOTO: Geda)

One of seven factories owned by Südzucker in the country, the Rain am Lech facility has been in operation since the 1950s and currently produces between 200,000 and 250,000 tonnes of sugar every year.

Sugar from the processing factory is fed into the plant’s 100,000-tonne capacity primary silo installation - which itself comprises seven interconnected silos - by a series of conveyor belts and by machinery located in an elevator tower.

To enable the transport of “equipment, supplies, and personnel for the time-consuming processes of cleaning and maintenance”, Geda installed its GEDA SH 500 industrial hoist model, which is capable of carry up to 500kg of equipment or six people.

“This GEDA lift guarantees a smooth ride all the way to the desired location,” said the manufacturer.

“More efficient maintenance and service processes save considerable time and money. The triangular mast holding the lift was attached to the outside of the [elevator] tower.

“Compared to the previous lift installed inside the tower, this saves a considerable amount of interior space. The triangular mast is 43.4 metres tall, ensuring that the necessary transport height of 38.6 metres is covered.”

The GEDA SH 500 industrial hoist model has a load capacity of 500kg, or six people. (PHOTO: Geda)

The GEDA SH 500 model, which due to its robust design is often used in cement works, asphalt mixing plants, chemical plants and in offshore installations, offers a top transport speed 40m/min.

According to the manufacturer, this was a key selling point because maintenance to the conveyor belt that delivers sugar to the plant’s silos often needs to be performed quickly.

Südzucker’s platform was also specifically tailored to the client’s application. It included a specified minimum clearance of 2m x 1.7m, a lift car with two manually operated, vertical doors and a viewing window, and was set up to “service two additional levels in addition to the ground level”, said Geda. 

Südzucker Group’s Rain am Lech factory in Germany. (©Dennis Möbus / Südzucker)