The Ideal Pit Cover for Steel Mills Is Built By Hennig
March 12, 2024
Back in the day, when manufacturing was in black & white and safety was less of a concern, American steel mills tended to have wide-open pits. It was a daily life-threatening hazard workers had to deal with.
Safety standards and technology have come a long way since then, so steel mills have little excuse in not doing everything they can to help keep their workers productive and healthy. Speaking frankly, if steel mills have little more than a fence guarding their open three-story pits, it’s a catastrophe waiting to happen.
At Hennig, we’ve perfected the pit cover for steel mills. Let’s unspool how it all works, why it’s ideal, and what you can expect.
Steel Grates: A Common Manual Labor Problem
To this day, many U.S. steel mills cover their pits with steel grates. On a regular basis, workers have to team up to lift and move those heavy grates. If you have a 140 square foot pit on your hands, you can imagine how many individual grates need to be moved. It takes a lot of time, and it brings a lot of injury risk.
The alternative, built by Hennig, is an instant relief to lower backs everywhere. Hennig aluminum pit covers immediately and permanently get rid of the need for steel grates, replacing them with an actuating solution.
Pit Covers for Steel Mills, Simplified and Perfected
Over the years, we’ve explored a few different ways to actuate our pit covers. We ultimately found a way that makes them very simple to operate while using fewer parts that wear. It’s all streamlined and intuitive, working in much the same way as more complex pit cover operations. The result is a steel mill pit cover that you and your workers can count on.
The aluminum we employ for our pit covers is a strength as well. It takes on larger loads and higher weight limits. And to go along with that streamlined, longer lasting design, the modular makeup of the pit cover lets steel mills swap out certain pieces as needed instead of replacing the entire cover.
Streamlined Operation of Hennig Pit Covers
It really can’t be much simpler: the push of a button covers and opens the pit. The speed at which the cover moves can be adjusted, and crucial lockout-tagout features are built-in.
Does Hennig have specs on this? Max load/weight limits?
Since safety is so crucial, multiple safety concerns are accounted for here.
- If you push down the knob and lock it, you can’t move the pit cover or put power to it
- The control is always within line of sight of the pit as well
- The cover can’t be actuated when someone is out in the area
- When the cover is in action, a flashing light is clearly visible
- A sensor on the front tells the cover to stop if it hits something
Made Right Here in the U.S.A.
Start to finish, Hennig pit covers are built right here at our Rockford, Illinois facility. We carry two sizes: 3-4 feet wide, or you can bump it up to 6-7 feet wide. Either size can run anywhere from 10 to 60 feet, or even more if needed.
Steel mills can expect an 8 to 10 week lead time on their pit covers. At Hennig, we also take care of installation if needed. Our pit covers are almost as easy to install as they are to use, but we’re here if your team doesn’t have the time or the desire to take on the install yourselves.
Whether you don’t have a proper pit cover in place or you need a stronger and more reliable solution, your steel mill has a knowledgeable and integrity-fueled partner in Hennig. Talk to our pit cover team today.
