As the global leader in caster and wheel solutions, Colson Group delivers unparalleled support and value to their customers. This national brand has 25 facilities, including its St. Joseph, Michigan location, which we had the pleasure of working with.
A suspected clutch brake problem
Colson Group suspected something was wrong with a clutch brake system. While performing a preventative maintenance inspection, they discovered it had the wrong clearances in it.
When they called us at HEL Inc., we formulated a plan to replace the wear items in the clutch brake. Together, we agreed on the scope of work and budget.
“I often call Matt Van Dam from HEL for consultation and questions. He always goes above and beyond to be ahead of the competition. In the stamping business, your clutches have to be right or the machines aren’t safe. HEL is our go-to.”
—Matt, Colson Group
A six month obstacle
But as soon as we started taking pieces apart, we determined there was much more extensive damage to the drive shaft than either of us had realized. The biggest issue was that some of the bearings that needed to be replaced were no longer available from the OEM.
The lead time to receive parts was estimated at 26 weeks!
In addition to all their other work, this Colson Group location is a vendor for a national retail business. Waiting 26 weeks for parts was simply unacceptable. Colson Group knew if they had to wait that long to get their press up and running for the customer’s distribution center, they would have lost the entire account.
HEL, Inc.’s speedy solution
Luckily, HEL, Inc. is positioned to be clients’ single source.
We set up bearing housings and bore them to have a larger bearing that could still fit and handle the loads. Next, we manufactured spacers so that the likelihood of failure again is much lower. And we managed and controlled the sourcing of all purchased items and made sure the shipping was taken care of correctly.
Best of all, we finished the entire project in just ten days—an absolute fraction of the time Colson Group was initially quoted.
Colson Group was ecstatic that we delivered on time. And, of course, they were thrilled to not put their account at risk.
“HEL helped us fix our 250 ton stamping press that runs most of our business for one of our top, national customers. The 26 weeks we were quotes just wasn’t an option. HEL did a great job finding parts, bringing out a full crew, and troubleshooting again. Our entire company, and our customer, greatly appreciates their work.”
—Matt, Colson Group
