Press Pit Redesign for 10,000,000 lb. Press Cuts Time & Cost in Half

Delta’s in-house engineering team delivers slashed cost & job timeline for TFO Tech

When Ohio automotive parts manufacturer, TFO Tech, Ltd. needed a second opinion on design plans for their Kurimoto Forging press pit they called us. Our engineering team analyzed the whole design for the press foundation, accessory press pits for scrap metal conveyors and electrical and mechanical lines. 

Kurimoto Forging press pit

We saw where changes were needed and quickly altered the originals to our new specs.  Designing and building a foundation that holds a 10 million pound press is no small task, but we’ve been doing it for more than three decades and we bring that experience into every job we do.

With our re-design we eliminated unnecessary accessory press pits and slashed the overall build cost in half. When we cut out the extraneous pieces from the original design the job could be completed twice as fast.

We knew TFO’s operations run 24/7 and any downtime costs money, so making the compressed timelines work was a top priority. When we found out we could beat them, we knew we were potentially saving them millions of dollars in lost production plus the reduction in overall build cost. We love over delivering.

Because this project was located only about 350 miles from the New Madrid fault we had to make sure our cranes for the new 24-foot deep press pit excavation would be earthquake-proof, so we also installed supports at their base to prevent any moving or shifting during the build. With a recent 4.0 quake in eastern Kentucky sending tremors as far as Cincinnati and Atlanta, the precaution was justified, even in the Midwest.

In a short amount of time, the press was set into place and the best part – when the build and installation were done - NO adjustments were required. Another win for our team and the customer, just what we were going for.

About Delta Industrial

Delta Industrial is the Midwest’s recognized leader in machine foundations, press pits and industrial concrete construction. A family-owned and operated company since 1993, Delta has offices in Chesterfield Michigan, Trussville Alabama, and Fort Thomas Kentucky. With a full steel construction and fabrication arm, and The Steel Shop, they are a complete construction solution. Specializing in all design-build facets of machine and press pits, concrete flat work, and steel fabrication, they are dedicated to getting each job done - On Time and In Budget.

What Does a Chemical Company Located Next to a Residential Area Do When They Need a New Foundation Pit for their Tank Farm? You Won’t Believe What One Company Did.

The scene is Ferndale, Michigan, a Detroit suburb that like many towns in the area has a mix of industrial and residential – often side by side. In areas like this, the challenge is how to sustainably combine neighborhoods and families alongside the businesses and employers that keep the community prosperous and growing.

Gage Products Company has been a strong supporter of the community for three generations. As a family-owned chemical solvent manufacturer and recycler for the auto industry their commitment to the environment and the people in Ferndale has been an integral part of their mission since the 1980s.

To ensure their systems and tank containment facilities would continue their environmental stewardship they needed a new foundation pit for their solvent tank farm.

The Delta Industrial team was called in to design and build the new foundation pit and containment wall for 14 large storage tanks located at the company headquarters. We were also asked to build a new loading dock.

Ordinary solutions are just not good enough

Our task was to create the best solution to prevent deterioration or contamination in the event of a spill or leak.  The “ordinary solution” is to use a rubber liner under the base of the tank farm – unfortunately “ordinary” is not good enough for our customers or us.

The Delta engineering team set to work creating an extra-ordinary solution that utilized eight percent silica concrete mix – double the Michigan Department of Transportation requirements in building bridge decks. This engineered concrete process greatly strengthened both the containment wall and the foundation pit slab itself.

Whenever possible – Over Deliver

Our focus on extra-ordinary didn’t end there, since our stronger and better process for the tank farm foundation pit also shortened the build time by several weeks and reduced construction costs. Another win-win for our customer and another industrial construction job done – On Time and In Budget.

As a result Gage Products Company now has a viable, long-term solution that guarantees the safety of the neighborhood they live and work in and supports their mission of environmental sustainability at the same time.

Why Choosing the Right Machine Foundation Contractor Saves Money

We all know that every minute a shearing machine or stamping press is down is lost production and that means lost money. But if the machine’s foundation is deteriorating, waiting to get it replaced can cost even more.

Faced with that exact scenario, Delaco Steel Corporation had a crop-shear press on a crumbling, unsafe machine foundation and no time (or money) to lose.

When they came to us we were told that we’d have exactly 48 hours for demolition of the old foundation, building the new structure, pouring the new concrete and getting the crop-shear press fully back on the machine’s new foundation.

For other construction companies a timeline like that could be mission impossible. For us, at Delta it was a challenge we were and are fully equipped for. 

Our in-house design team immediately went to work creating the plans and handling all aspects of the complete construction job to meet or beat that deadline.

When the Delta crew showed up on Thursday afternoon at 3:00pm there was no time to waste. The timeline they were working on meant the old press pit demolition, new construction and pour needed to be finished within 12 hours or the concrete wouldn’t be ready to install the press.

By 3:00am the machine foundation was poured and all the other construction targets were in perfect alignment for the team to get the shear-press fully operational and back online by Saturday afternoon, which is exactly what they did. Another structurally sound, aesthetic and fully complete product of work.

The best thing about this job was Delaco was so happy with the speed and quality they hired us to design three more press pit foundations at two other locations.  Of course, we completed those jobs on time and within budget too.

If you need a machine foundation, press pit or any industrial construction job please visit our RFQ page and tell us about our needs. When you choose Delta we guarantee you will be satisfied and your job will be done on time and on budget.

We’re All About Concrete and Steel

For more than 20 years we’ve been serving American industry’s commercial concrete construction needs.  We’ve built quite an impressive list of customers and completed projects totaling millions of square feet. Building everything from single machine foundations through full design-build and completion of new 800,000+ square foot plants.

While we may be best known for concrete press pits, machine foundations, and flatwork, for more than a decade we’ve built a solid reputation in steel, with a full division dedicated to machine foundations design, construction and fabrication.

The Steel Shop. Construction Process Control from Anchor Bolts On Up.

Way back in 2001 we created a separate entity with the same Delta dedication and quality. The Steel Shop gives us even more cost and quality control in any job you bring to Delta and does plenty of its own steel work too.

Today, The Steel Shop maintains an in-house staff of Engineers, CAD Designers, Certified Welders plus a fully equipped fabrication shop that includes steel shears, press brakes, pipe benders and more.  Our fully staffed team has more than 60 years of combined expertise in steel fabrication, building and machine foundations design.

We offer re-steel and re-steel packages plus a vast catalog of items that can be fabricated to meet your job’s specific needs.

Some of our commonly fabricated items include:

Bolt Canisters ∙ Bolt Frames ∙ Mechanical Trenches ∙ Sump Boxes Bollards ∙ Door Jambs ∙ Brackets ∙ Scrap Chutes ∙ Plating

We do large Scale Projects too including:

Mezzanines ∙ Stairways ∙ Handrails ∙ Ladders ∙ Canopy Structures ∙ Crane Support Structures

We’ve worked with local and non-local companies in the machine foundation design and fabrication of projects ranging from simple ladders to complete building expansions and roof raises. With our expanded presence in Alabama and Kentucky, The Steel Shop is ready to serve any steel related needs with the continuity and efficiency you expect from Delta, regardless of where new business expansions take you.

Get more info about The Steel Shop’s capabilities and check out some of our completed projects at www.thesteelshop.net.