A permanent industrial hoist for a neighbouring town

GEDA was commissioned to install a new industrial hoist at one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of sugar products. A permanent lift is likely to be a major relief to Südzucker AG.

The German town of Rain am Lech is known as the “City of Flowers”. A factory located there, part of the Südzucker Group, has been making sugar for all of Europe since 1957. Situated on the border between the regions of Swabia and Upper Bavaria, the plant has stood for hard work and innovation since the very beginning. GEDA GmbH has existed slightly longer in the neighbouring town of Asbach Bäumenheim only 12 kilometres away. The manufacturer of construction hoists and industrial hoists has had its headquarters there for more than 90 years now. Made in Germany, its products range from small rope hoists to large industrial hoists. The name GEDA stands for quality, know-how, and expertise in the construction equipment sector and on building sites. It is an integral part of GEDA’s corporate culture to maintain good relations with other companies based in the region.

Several thousand metric tonnes of sugar can be produced in Rain am Lech annually. During the sugar beet harvesting season from September to January, referred to as the “campaign”, employees work in round-the-clock shifts to process this enormous amount of sugar. That enables the plant to produce the annual sugar demand of a German citizen in fewer than two seconds. The factory needs silos holding more than 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar for that volume of production. Transferring the commodity from the production plant to the silos requires a variety of conveyor belts and machinery in an elevator tower. A GEDA SH 500 was installed to transport equipment, supplies, and personnel for the time consuming processes of cleaning and maintenance to the appropriate location of the facilities as well as to the ceiling of the silo. It can carry up to 500 kilogrammes or six persons easily, safely and quickly. This GEDA lift guarantees a smooth ride all the way to the desired location. More efficient maintenance and service processes save considerable time and money. The triangular mast holding the lift was attached to the outside of the tower. Compared to the previous lift installed inside the tower, this saves a considerable amount of interior space. The triangular mast is 43.4 metres tall, ensuring that the necessary transport height of 38.6 metres is covered. Because conveyor belt maintenance tasks often need to be performed quickly, speedy transport was necessary. This industrial hoist allows travel at a speed of 40 m/min. The GEDA SH is perfectly adapted to the environment and performs impressively under the roughest conditions. That is why this lift is also used for applications such as cement works, asphalt mixing plants, chemical plants, offshore platforms and many more. It was not only GEDA’s local proximity that convinced the customer to allow it to carry out the project. Another deciding factor was the construction and industrial hoist manufacturer’s many years of experience. GEDA carried out special requests and met the customer’s requirements with no trouble at all. GEDA had a solution for everything – whether it was the specified minimum clearance of 2 m x 1.7 m or the special lift car with two manually operated, vertical doors and a viewing window. The lift is required to service two additional levels in addition to the ground level.

The Donau-Ries economic region is considered one of the strongest in Germany. The partnerships and exchanges of information between local companies contribute to the robust economic growth. Its strong small and medium-sized enterprise sector is especially prevalent. The region is home to a wide variety of industries and highly specialised companies.