MORE STREET CRANES FOR TOYOTA

Five new high specification cranes from Chapel-en-le-Frith crane makers Street Crane Company have been installed at Toyota's Burnaston plant.  The work was carried out in readiness for producing the new generation Avensis, launched in March.  Cranes have been installed to give more flexibility and greater speed in die changing.  This has allowed Toyota to improve efficiency and reduce die change cycle times on presses and injection moulding machines by as much as 30 percent.
	Toyota have been using Street Cranes since 1991.  "Toyota is a company renowned for quality and reliability.  The successful long term performance of these cranes, and high service level provided by Street, was a vital factor in selecting our cranes for the Burnaston upgrade project," commented Street managing director Andrew Pimblett.
	Four of the new cranes are installed in the press shop and one in the plastics shop.  Street heavy duty open barrel VX hoists are used for true vertical lift and placement.  This system ensures the dies - some weighing up to 28 tonnes - are transported down the workshop without sway and can be placed immediately without any need for the operator to make movements to stabilise the load.  Hoists have a 35 tonne safe working load capacity.  The crane in the plastics shop also has a second hoist of 16 tonnes for die splitting and turning.
	Safety and precise movement were key Toyota requirements.  The cranes are fitted with Street's XY- Zero load system for safety and maximum sway-free stability.  This is essential when placing the complex dies onto the auto loaders for the presses.  Street's cranes are used extensively in the UK automotive and engineering industries.  

More information: Gus Zona, Street Crane Co Ltd, Tel. +44 (0)1298 812456, Fax. +44 (0)1298 814945, E-mail: admin@streetcrane.co.uk  Web: www.streetcrane.co.uk

June 03, 2003

Additional Note to Editors
Toyota's current investment in the UK, at Burnaston and Deeside, totals more than £1.7 billion.  Around 220,000 Avensis and Corolla models are produced for the UK and European markets, using lean manufacturing technologies.  This demands intensive use of capital plant such as presses and moulding machines to produce a large number of components in small batches in synchronisation with assembly.  A process requires frequent die swaps.