We are pleased to announce the successful completion of a major six-figure project for Express Engineering, which is a Gateshead leader in innovative manufacturing, assembly, and testing solutions for the subsea energy industry.
Our expert engineers worked in partnership with Express Engineering to relocate and install five Overhead Travelling Cranes (OTC) within its newly built £3.5m international assembly and test centre in Team Valley.
The collaborative project involved our team decommissioning and dismantling five OTCs using forklifts and a 13-tonne mobile city crane.
The cranes are an integral part of the new centre enabling Express Engineering to efficiently lift and transport its engineering solutions for subsea equipment and offshore energy within the facility.
Chris Thompson, chairman of Express Engineering, said: “We are delighted that the centre is now complete. The JK Lifting team has been incredible to work with and understood our challenges and what we wanted to achieve.
“The OTCs have been designed to best utilise the space available and to maintain safe working areas, as well as vastly speeding up the entire assembly process.”To ensure the project ran smoothly we worked in collaboration with Express Engineering to create a comprehensive project plan.
James Bright, our managing director, explained: “After dismantling the five, four-tonne cranes, we transported one of them back to our Ouseburn workshop for modification using a specialist extendable trailer provided by J.R. Adams hauliers. The fabrication included modifying the crane’s span to suit the facility. Our team of specialist welders then utilised Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) an industry analysis technique used to ensure no welding defects.
“Then, once back on site in Team Valley and using a 50-tonne mobile crane, each OTC was carefully installed into the Express Engineering’s centre. Following the installation, the team proof load tested each crane to ensure compliance.”
Mr Bright added: “Since JK Lifting Equipment was established, Express Engineering has supported our business throughout our initial phase of growth. They share a similar approach to us in terms of delivering excellence and adding value for customers at every step, through in-depth industry knowledge, technical skill and cutting-edge innovation.
“We appreciate the longstanding partnership and are proud to have supported the creation of the company’s international assembly and test centre. The purpose-built centre demonstrates the growth and investment within the region’s marine and renewable energy sector.
“This project wouldn’t have been possible without a combination of teamwork and expertise, it’s the bedrock of our culture. We are currently looking to further expand the team, to continue combining complementary skills and expertise to fuel our rapid growth and expansion.”
