Lifting Void Trap Doors for a Multi-Storey Hoist

Operators lifted press dies and other components through the trap doors on all three floors. Edge protection was available, but it relied on operators fitting removable handrails by hand before they opened each door. As a result, the protection around the opening depended on everyone following that step, every time.

The customer wanted a solution that no longer relied on a manual set-up.

Replace the trap doors with a design that guards the opening whenever it is open. The closed doors also had to carry heavy press dies across the floor.

Our solution was to completely rethink how the trap door system functioned.

We developed a bespoke design incorporating:

• Integrated safety grid protection
• Self-closing safety gates
• Fold-away safety systems that retract into the trap door assembly when not required
• Continuous edge protection around the opening during lifting operations
• A robust trap door structure capable of supporting a 1-tonne load when closed, allowing heavy press dies to be safely transferred across the floor opening

We sketched the initial idea before modelling the design in 3D. Our workshop then manufactured the parts, and our engineers installed them on site.

In addition to the engineered solution, we provided a detailed safe operating procedure to keep operators protected at every stage of the lifting process, including when moving loads onto the receiving floor.

The lifting void is protected at all times without needing separate handrails, and the closed doors carry heavy loads across the floor.

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