Handling Specialty Blog - lift equipment

Custom Personnel Lifts and work platforms can be much more then simple scissor lifts.

Handling Specialty has been building custom equipment for the material handling industry since 1963 and has diversified its industry reach from automotive to aerospace, entertainment, advanced manufacturing, rail and transportation,...

The Aerospace industry has been a major customer for Handling Specialty, coming back again and again for their custom material handling equipment needs.

If you’ve ever wondered why our portable electric Jacks are considered the best in the industry you haven’t far to look.

From steel manufacturing to mining operations,  food production, paper mills and plastics, process manufacturing is a far-reaching industry which services an enormous range of B2B and B2C customers.

Handling Specialty has automotive manufacturing to thank for their exceptional start in the custom material handling industry.

Meeting Custom Handling Needs for the Energy Industry The energy industry is arguably one of the most important industries in the world today.

Known for our custom material handling equipment, Handling Specialty has built for multiple industries requiring robust, custom equipment to solve specific applications.

Need an automated solution for your theatre’s newest sensation? Heavy-duty, custom equipment isn’t only found in manufacturing and assembly operations.

Advanced Manufacturing – A Shared History with Handling Specialty Advanced manufacturing increasingly integrates new and innovative technologies in both products and processes.

Ordering replacement parts or making a service request should be the easiest step in having your Handling Specialty equipment serviced.

Handling Specialty added 80,000 square feet to our manufacturing capabilities in 2007 by renting space in Hamilton, Ontario.

In-Ground Turbine Lift Assembly In order to build out turbines for power generation, Handling Specialty engineers custom in-ground lifts to be placed in pits fully assembled so technicians can work on...

The energy industry is an important part of Handling Specialty’s portfolio and few are as challenging as nuclear.

Because of the sheer size and escalating complexities of Handling Specialty’s material handling equipment, filming a build with time-lapse photography gave marketing a new tool to get across the magnitude...

If you’re in the business of assembling major components for the aviation industry, then you know Handling Specialty is the right fit for your company.

Automotive Turntables From entertainment to the automotive industry, manual and automated turntables play a role in multiple industries.

Described as a unique theatre-in-the-round, the Circle Theatre at the Pacific Repertory Theater in Carmel, CA makes an ideal setting for experimental plays, original material, and other works enhanced by...

First, you’ll need to know what a skillet lift is.

Innovation is at the core of everything Handling Specialty designs. Why? Because virtually every order we receive is to solve a specific application required by our customer.

Whether during the initial planning of an assembly facility or you’re intending to upgrade, reorient or add to your current manufacturing plant, designing to best outfit your operation is an...

What’s better than one heavy-duty MGV? Joining it with another to create a tandem material handling Goliath.

When designing or redesigning your aerospace assembly facility for its material handling processes there are multiple products to consider.

When your assembly process requires up/down motion to position your technicians with 360-degree access to the product, Handling Specialty should be your first call.

Four-Post Rotators will Excite your Material Handling Needs Whichever industry you’re in; if your application requires assembly of large, heavy-capacity engines or other large-scale equipment, a rotating lift is your best...

Manufacturing in the entertainment industry is often overlooked or perhaps, overshadowed by the event itself.

Transportation Industry Handling Equipment Keeps Customers Coming back Heavy rail and transportation material handling equipment has been a large part of Handling Specialty’s portfolio for years.

Personnel Platforms for Automotive Inspection Personnel lifts come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

AGVs are a perfect fit for aerospace assembly lines and material handling where your facility requires 24/7 operation, lift or rotation, high-duty cycles or heavy payload transport.

AGV’s for Manufacturing and Assembly Advanced manufacturing has a broad connotation and can apply to multiple industries.

Manually Guided Transporters in the Energy Industry. An MGV can be as big or as small as the application demands. At Handling Specialty, we don’t really build small.

It’s one thing to provide the best material handling equipment in the business, but when you can provide a total equipment package for your customer’s application needs, you’ve entered a...

This hot-dip galvanized automotive lift system will be used in a water spray booth for testing leaks in vehicles at a major vehicle manufacturer in Toledo, OH.

Meet Debbie Guild, with Handling Specialty since 1979! On May 20, 1979, I received a phone call for an interview. I agreed to meet the gentleman who called.

Move your product effortlessly with Automated or Manually Guided Vehicles.  Design your facility’s path, lay the magnetic stripe on the assembly floor and place your AGV’s.

The Council of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists have awarded Russell Johnston, of Handling Specialty, the George Burwash Langford Memorial award in recognition of outstanding technical...

Underwater Stage Lifts – A Legacy Did you know that Handling Specialty has designed, manufactured and installed the underwater stage lifts for all of the Oasis-class Royal Caribbean Aquatheaters? Our success in...

Rail-guided electric cart with skid and levelling blade assembly.

Ladle lifts solve steel industry re-bricking problem The term ladle in the steel industry essentially shares its name with a soup ladle in that it holds a liquid.

Designing flexible, robust, reliable and safe production assembly systems is what Handling Specialty does.

Stamping is the process of placing flat sheet metal in either blank or coil form into a stamping press where a tool and die surface forms the metal into a set shape....

Who Manufactures Equipment for the Manufacturers? Every large, complex product requires an equally complex design around the manufacturing of said product.

Entertaining Toronto Theatre Goers Handling Specialty doesn’t just specialize in custom stage lifts and rotators.

These eight robust, Three Axis Mast Lifts were custom engineered for an aerospace manufacturer to ergonomically position technicians during their upper wing panel sealing process.

Roll-Over Vehicles Offer Unlimited access to Equipment Handling Specialty has developed a solid reputation for delivering safe, intelligent and robust material handling equipment for the Energy industry.

Turnkey Projects are Our Specialty Handling Specialty has been designing and manufacturing custom material handling systems for more than fifty years.

New Blast & Paint Booth Grand Opening - Christmas Came Early for Handling Specialty The new paint booth and blast booth gracing Handling Specialty’s plant 2 in Hamilton, Ontario expand on...

Customizing automotive lift and positioning product design Customizing automotive lift and positioning product design is Handling Specialty’s wheelhouse.

I am now in my sixth year as project manager with HSML, having joined in July 2013 to lead a Nuclear project.

 Large Turntables for the Entertainment Industry Handling Specialty has designed and built turntables for multiple industries over the years, and the entertainment industry is a big one! With experience engineering heavy-duty...

Updated Website Handling Specialty is proud to announce the website www. handling.

Where ergonomics and efficient factory design meet heavy-duty lift and transfer equipment. That’s Handling Specialty’s wheelhouse. Robust, custom material handling equipment built for specific applications for multiple industries.

Recently Handling Specialty held a training session where two Zephir Crab 5000 E models were included to assist in the performance of maintenance duties.

  It’s timely to be talking about custom stage lifts today as we solidify another aqua-theatre stage project  with our friends at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Handling Specialty continues to excel in designing custom manually guided vehicles for our diverse customer’s specific applications.

Found in Locomotive maintenance shops and rail yards the world over, the Whiting Portable Electric Jack is the industry standard that continues to outlast the competition.

  Aerospace engine dress bay lifting systems Handling Specialty builds robust, custom material handling equipment for multiple, international aerospace  companies.

  Meet Marek Cybula, Handling Specialty’s Professional Services Specialist. Mareks employment with Handling Specialty commenced in May of 2002, entering the company from the steel industry.

Ladle Transfer Cars. Yes, we make those. Ladle transfer cars are used to carry hot metal ladles for transfer within the plant.

  The motorized load-leveling spreader was designed to assist rail companies in removing various lengths and weights of roofs from their rail cars.

  A great way to get to know a company is through their people. Handling Specialty has been introducing their employees to one another through  newsletters for years.

  This large personnel lift was designed with worker ergonomics and functionality in mind for the assembly and maintenance of massive engines for the power-gen industry.

How do you manage parts and services support for a floating city?  This is a big question which Handling Specialty has answered on several occasions for the largest cruise ships in...

  Check out Handling Specialty’s Guest Post today on MHI’s Blog featuring thought leadership on employing AGV and MGV’s into your #manufacturing, #Assembly or #Warehousing facility. http://s354933259. onlinehome.

Niagara Economic Development Comes to Handling Specialty A group of International Investment Development Representatives visited Handling Specialty on May, 11th, 2018 through our contacts at Niagara Regions Economic Development.

How Can Engine Rollover Stations Make Your Job Easier? Handling Specialty recently completed a 15 and 30 Ton Engine Rollover Station for the energy industry which were placed in a state-of-the-art...

  What is a Blank Handling Cart and why should every automotive manufacturer include them into their facility’s design? Handling Specialty has been engineering and manufacturing handling equipment for the automotive...

Handling Specialty has developed a solid reputation for delivering safe, intelligent and robust material handling equipment utilized in the assembly, testing, inspection and maintenance of power generation products for multiple...

Automatically Guided Roll-Over Vehicles for the Advanced Manufacturing Industry Handling Specialty has developed a solid reputation for delivering safe, intelligent and robust material handling equipment utilized in the assembly, testing, inspection...

AGV Case Study and Future Featured Applications In the summer of 2015, a major truck body manufacturer was awarded a walk-in van order to be built and delivered within a very...

Electro-mechanical Lifts for Turbine Assembly/Manufacturing Handling Specialty has developed a solid reputation for delivering safe, intelligent and robust material handling equipment to power-gen industries utilized in the assembly, testing and MRO...

Split rail systems are used in rail vehicle maintenance facilities for changing of rail vehicle (freight, or transit) wheelsets.

  Rail car maintenance should run as smoothly as your trip from point A to B on the rail car you're travelling on.

Royal Caribbean Case Study-Symphony of the Seas Did you know that Handling Specialty has designed, manufactured and installed the underwater stage lifts for all of the Oasis class Royal Caribbean Aquatheaters? Our...

Skillet Lifts for Final Assembly Handling Specialty helped pioneer the modern automotive final assembly line back in the early 80s with the development of ergonomic and efficient electro-mechanical lifts for the...

Campaign 2018 – Design Engineering After investing considerable time in developing 2018’s marketing campaign and surveying our own engineers on its appeal, Handling Specialty has developed our advertising campaign around the...

Automatically Guided Roll-Over Vehicles These custom engineered, automatically guided roll-over vehicles were developed to safely and efficiently position large power-gen engines during major overhaul and remanufacturing operations.

  Split Rail System Video  Operation Description From positioning the remote-controlled, battery-powered cart, to lifting the cylinder and making contact with the vehicle's wheelset axle, there is much to know when changing out a...

  Winter is here; and for many locations it signals an important opportunity to focus on the maintenance of your material handling equipment.

  We hope those of you who traveled to the Power-Gen show in Las Vegas last week enjoyed your trip.

How do you move heavy loads of steel from one station to another? Handling Specialty’s custom engineered, rugged transfer vehicles offer flexibility to their designs allowing for the easy extension to...

Nose Cone Gantries How do you change a windshield wiper on a rail vehicle that has a curved and sloped front? Many companies have turned to using Handling Specialty’s Nose Cone Gantry....

Large Scale Theater Lifts for Productions Whether Circular, square, rectangular or another custom shape built to fit your production or theater stage, Handling Specialty can build the stage lift to match...

Where We Build Big Things So Our Customers Can Build Big Things Handling Specialty has two facilities with our head office in the free-trade corridor of the golden horseshoe in Ontario,...

  Rail/Transit Industry Maintenance Lifts and Platforms The Rail and Transportation industry is a multifaceted and complex enterprise requiring heavy, reliable and robust equipment to move, lift and rotate massive rail vehicles...

  The hazardous and rigorous demands of the metal processing industry requires equipment that is robust, reliable and satisfies stringent safety standards. Handling Specialty builds to these specifications.

Whether for equipment inspection, maintenance or assembly, handling Specialty can design, build and support your next Turbine rotator or tilter.

  Do You Use Specialized Material Handling Equipment?   Custom material handling solutions for specialized applications is what we do, and there are multiple examples of our custom work throughout our website....

Backstage Theater Lifts, an Essential Part of Your Audience’s Experience Handling Specialty custom engineers, manufactures and installs backstage lifting devices for theaters all over the world.

Handling Specialty has developed a solid reputation for delivering safe, intelligent and robust material handling equipment to the Aerospace Industry utilized in the assembly, testing and MRO of aero engines.

  Automotive marriage systems are an integral part of the automotive assembly process - joining an automotive chassis with its body.

  To assist our many aerospace customers in conducting performance testing on aero engines, Handling Specialty manufactures custom material handling equipment designed to operate within the client’s test cells to their...

Handling Specialty has developed a solid reputation for delivering safe, intelligent and robust material handling equipment to the aerospace Industry utilized in the assembly, testing and MRO of aero engines.

  Rail Maintenance Lift and Positioning Equipment Do you require locomotive maintenance equipment to perform repairs and/or cleaning to the front end of your locomotives? Handling Specialty has designed the perfect option...

  Paint booth lifts for Rail and Transportation Manufacturing/Maintenance Paint booths for multiple industries can come in a variety of shapes and sizes to be applied to your industry’s specific requirements whether...

Vertical Drop Lifter Handling Specialty creates custom lifts in multiple styles and capacities.

  Steeped in decades of experience with multiple entertainment customers, one of Handling Specialty’s ground-breaking achievements has been our ability to provide underwater stage lifts.

  Manually Guided Vehicles are making their way into every industry, as the need for more customized options to move parts, or assist in the assembly process are realized.

If you operate an automotive manufacturing facility, then you’re probably aware of the need for manually guided vehicles. Whether you’ve employed MGV’s in your facility is another story.

  What’s more, how do you get a thirty-two-foot diameter spherical wind baffle from point A to B, and then raise and lower the unit so it can link up to...

Turn Tables Take on a Life of their Own in the Entertainment Industry Handling Specialty has multiple examples of turn tables designed to enhance a stage show, or promote a product....

  Handling Specialty has developed a solid reputation for delivering safe, intelligent and robust material handling equipment to the Aerospace Industry utilized in the assembly, testing and MRO of aero engines....

  Why does my facility need blank feed carts? If you have an automotive manufacturing facility, you’ve likely heard of blank feed carts.

  Handling Specialty’s S. A. M is a laser and camera-assisted motion control solution utilizing a custom heavy-duty multi-axis manipulator arm.   S. A.

  Looking for a mechanical lifting device which will assist in your end of assembly line duties? These four-post lifts were developed for that purpose for our client to inspect small...

Handling Specialty has built Manlifts and Personnel lifts for multiple industries including Aerospace.

My Automotive Operations Require an Accurate Elevation Change Between Conveyance Lines which will Talk to my Mainframe.

A question we hear a lot from our customers is: How do I move from a manual assembly line to one which is more automated? And then: How do I...

The autonomous guided vehicle is feature rich and designed for those focused on continuous improvement. Material handling industries find countless uses for automated guided vehicles.

HSML received a purchase order for one (1) ROT-10 Turntable and one (1) ROT-20 Turntable, A major wind tunnel engineering firm required two turn tables for a wind tunnel they will...

With a lifting capacity of 12,000 lbs and a fully raised height of 49 feet, this four-stage hydraulic scissor lift was cutom designed for a very specific application at a...

Drop tables for the transit industry refer to equipment designed and built for maintenance operations to assist the technicians with easy removal of wheel sets, traction motors/combos, and full trucks/bogies...

The aerospace industry and Handling Specialty have been working together for many years.

Designed and built to initially service the automotive manufacturing industry’s application needs in moving stamping line dies from one end of their facility to the other, the Portavator can be...

In support of the Manufacturing Day event at Mohawk College on October 24, Handling Specialty took part in a film produced to encourage and excite students about the different career...

Handling Specialty works with clients in the nuclear industry to engineer and manufacture massive four post lifts, unique portable tilt and rotate platforms, gimble service lifts, bridges, retubing platforms, and...

  Manufacturing Day is October 7th. Manufacturing week is the 1st to the 7th.

AGV’s, or Automatic Guided Vehicles, have been providing solutions in the materials handling business for many years.

  The People Who Influence you are the People Who Believe in you.

  Locomotive truck/Bogie Drop Tables are an essential part of any rail transportation maintenance facility.

  “The starting point of all achievement is desire.

A company which practices an employee-centric attitude is far more beneficial to their customer then one which does not.

Michael Jackson ONE – Integrated Stage Machinery Automation In 2013, the stage lifts for the Cirque du Soleil show featuring Michael Jackson’s music, ONE, were engineered, designed and manufactured by Handling...

Personnel Lifts for the Rail Industry Handling Specialty has designed and manufactured numerous personnel lifts for locomotive engine manufacturers.

Move up to 50 Tons of Stamping Dies with the Portavator’s Advanced Maneuverability for the Automotive  industry.

The Fourth Underwater Stage Lift System for Royal Caribbean Before the fourth project for Royal Caribbean cruise lines can be dismantled, painted, packaged and delivered to the latest Oasis class build...

It requires technically savvy sales people, an engineering department which includes hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, software designers, purchasing departments skilled in procuring the proper equipment, manufacturing professionals to piece together the newly imagined equipment, knowledgeable installation, training and after-market professionals who will support and maintain the custom material handling equipment

“I cannot think of when we had a relationship that was so supportive and attentive.

An AGV system, or automated guided vehicle system, otherwise known as an automated guided vehicle, autonomous guided vehicle or even automatic guided cart, is a system which follows a predestined path around a facility. AGV’s are mechanical vehicles which carry a load through either an assembly, manufacturing or warehousing facility.

IN NEED OF SERVICE ON YOUR HANDLING SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT? When you decide to purchase a Handling Specialty product, you’re not just buying a product, you’re buying a custom engineered and manufactured...

Polaris, BRP, GE Transportation, Harley Davidson, Case New Holland; these are some of the companies who trust us to design and build their manufacturing equipment for the advanced manufacturing sector.

Today our Sales manager, Michael Roper is in Middleton, Connecticut as one of Pratt & Whitney's preferred vendors attending the Environmental, Health & Safety Vendor Fair.

Mercedes, BMW, Ford, GM, Chrysler; these are some of the companies who trust us to design and build their automotive manufacturing equipment.

Designed and manufactured since 1990, the OSA-LATOR precision indexing table has improved efficiency across multiple industries by offering precise positioning and repeat-ability through a simple, yet effective design.

Automotive manufacturing equipment - Whether you need marriage lifts, production duty scissor lifts, automated guided vehicles, manually guided vehicles, skillet lifts for trim/find assembly personnel lifts, or blank feed tables for a stamping facility, our team of professionals work with you every step of the way to deliver the right equipment.

ABB, General Electric, Mitsubishi, Rolls Royce, Siemens, Solar Turbines; these are some of the companies who trust us to design and build their manufacturing equipment for the energy sector.

Handling Specialty is a Whiting company; renowned for their Shim Tables, Drop Tables, Split Rail Systems, Paint Booths, Overhead Gantries, Stencil Booths and Nose Cone Lifts to name a few products in the Rail industry.

  Automatic and manually guided vehicles are used for multiple applications in manufacturing and assembly facilities to assist in the transportation of product through the line or from the manufacturing floor to the...

Not all AGV's – otherwise known as AGC's - are created equal. Handling Specialty's customized automatic guided vehicle was designed, built and tested at their facilities for a truck-body builder who required specific application details and safety options which Handling Specialty delivered.

Ladle lifts replaced the traditional scaffolding used in the re-bricking process at many steel factories as a safer and more reliable option.

This personnel lift, for instance, with an 8 foot, fully-automated rise and lower function, outfitted with 5 sliders and mechanical emergency foot brakes offers the perfect solution to working with large engines or turbines placed on rotating head stock / tail stock equipment.

The Benefits of a Below-Ground Level Scissor Lift  - Safety is always an important consideration when designing a product to help others do their jobs more efficiently.

Engineering is obviously an important step in realizing your custom equipment, but don’t over-look manufacturing. Has the company built the products they’ve engineered? This is where trial and error takes place. This is where real world experience comes into play.

The phrase materials handling is a broad term with many meanings and involving many industries. Each industry has its own challenges when manufacturing, shipping, or storing product. Whether they are the manufacturer’s themselves, or are shipping and/or storing products for other manufacturer’s, their requirements for equipment to assist in building, storing or moving those items vary widely depending on the size, weight and nature of the product.

In an effort to support the industry organization MHI, and encourage others to join the Manufacturing and Supply chain industry as a career choice, Handling Specialty's own Sales Manager, Mike Roper, has stepped up to tell us a little something about his experiences in the Manufacturing/Supply Chain industry.

The Forklevator comes with an industry leading five year structural warranty.

A safer and more efficient working environment has always been the cornerstone to Handling Specialty’s design engineering whether with a standard offering like the Forklevator, or any number of custom builds which make up the majority of Handling Specialty’s diverse and massive breadth of experience.

Some of the major benefits to employing a Head stock/Tail stock Positioner is that it offers a properly positioned weldment, regardless of the size, which reduces welder fatigue, increases safety, improves weld quality, and saves on production floor space.

Expanded Services Section on Handling Specialty's Website. In order to keep your equipment running and your operation moving, parts and services are an integral part of the process. From critical spare parts to the planned maintenance services recommended by your manufacturer, it is important to be able to find what you need when unforeseen damages or problems arise with your machinery.

Do you know who it is you've hired to offer you expert consultation advice? Are they experts? Do they have a diverse portfolio of work to support their claims?

One of the great milestones in our history was the period in time that we launched our Forklevator product line; lifts used to service the underside of Fork Lift Trucks...

Handling Specialty Wins Grimsby Business of the Year Award, 2015 GRIMSBY, ONT. CANADA — For Immediate Release, Dec. 1, 2015 - Handling Specialty Manufacturing Ltd.

On December 4th, many millions watched The Amazing Race contestants enter the largest water extravaganzastage show in the world today.

 This Manually Guided Vehicle was engineered and manufactured by Handling Specialty for the locomotive industry to assist in moving and lifting components for assembly on a raised passenger car.

Handling Specialty and High Point Equipment Bring the OSA-LATOR Precision Indexing Table to a Wider Market The strategic alliance between the makers of the OSA-LATOR and Handling Specialty is the perfect...

Handling Specialty's expertise in underwater lifts and other custom material handling solutions was featured in a recent story in the Toronto Star by reporter Dana Flavelle.

It's the summer season and you may be feeling the need to travel.

So it looks as though my persistent and highly motivated Marketing Manager has won our battle and convinced me that writing a BLOG is a good thing.

Handling Specialty Manufacturing Ltd. was honoured this week to attend the Ontario Export Awards Gala in Toronto and receive our award as finalist in the Transportation Equipment category.

It wasn’t very long ago that I participated in a business forum where a number of executives spoke about the importance of developing “value added” offerings to their customers.

If I had to vote on the single most influential project in the history of the company it would be the time we went to Las Vegas and put a...

A new feature, Handling Specialty is pleased to share news stories about our customers. For the latest news, click here.  

There was a day when our sales department was also the parts department and the service department and the installation department…. you get the idea.

Over the past 30 years that I have been with Handling Specialty, the company has certainly weathered several economic “storms.

Over the years we have attended many trade shows; some we just walked and some we exhibited at.

For years now, we have enjoyed stating in our covering letters that “Handling Specialty doesn’t just build great equipment…. we build great relationships too”.