Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing

PortaFab teamwork solves logistics problem
for forklift manufacturer

28' x 30' x 13' high building designed to house sensitive CMM measuring equipment

Humidity and temperature control, plus fire and sound insulation; very short turn around time to coincide with installation of measuring machine.

The Situation
As a leading manufacturer of forklifts, Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing is dedicated to maintaining a high level of quality throughout all areas of its assembly process. Recently, the manufacturer implemented plans to have highly sensitive coordinate measuring machine installed within its facility.

While the new equipment would provide precision-measuring features designed to enhance the quality of the product, it would need to be housed in an environmentally controlled workspace. The insulation properties, along with HVAC, had to keep the room at 68°F, even when temperatures rose above 100°F in the plant.

In addition, the new CMM measuring equipment had been ordered and would be ready for installation in a short period of time, so a decision on how to house it had to be made quickly. "We had a very short lead time," said Brent Meienburg, quality assurance engineer for Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing. "We had to get the builders, electricians, HVAC, fire protection, and internal maintenance scheduled in concurrently - we were looking for help."

The Evaluation
Meienburg determined that only a modular system would meet his requirement for a building that could be moved or easily expanded.

PortaFab quickly drew up the plans for a facility and made their recommendations to Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing. The proposed building was to be 28' x 30' x 13' high and was designed to provide both humidity and temperature control. In addition, Fire and Sound option was recommended not only for its Class A noncombustion rating, but also because of the better ability to hear in the building with the increased noise-reduction panel construction.

The Series III wall panel system was selected to accommodate a load-bearing roof to handle the storage of an HVAC system and its duct work. With the Series III superior load-bearing capabilities we were able to accommodate the interior ceiling, steel dust cover and 27 2' x 4' recessed lights. Nonprogressive construction of Series III units would also allow the building to be easily moved or expanded in the future, when necessary.

The Solution
Once Meienburg approved the recommendation, the entire project was completed in just 2-1/2 weeks! Close coordination between PortaFab factory people and the local distributor made this fast turnaround possible. Since planning and completion of the building had to coincide with delivery of the measuring equipment, PortaFab shipped the building complete in just 12 days. It took only four day to complete the installation - with no problems.

The finishing touches included a white Fiberglas™ laminated finish to the panels on both inside and outside surfaces to provide increased durability in a manufacturing environment where material moves in and out constantly.

PortaFab gives you the strength of flexibility
In the every-changing and expanding world of industry, it's comforting to know that there are still products in existence designed to meet you needs for flexibility. PortaFab is a quick, cost-effective solution for companies with growing working environments.