When Dunlop needed to reconfigure its REMA Tip-Top rubber facility in Howick to accommodate future manufacturing plans and building redevelopment, and simultaneously relocate a 173-tonne press to its Benoni plant, the project required Reef Rigging to execute two technically demanding rigging and relocation operations with minimal disruption to production.
Repositioning a 65-Tonne China Press at Howick
The first phase required repositioning a 65-tonne China press 20 metres within the Howick facility to a new lay-down area. Reef Rigging deployed a 220-tonne mobile crane (with an 80-tonne rated lifting capacity in the required configuration) to lift, slew, and reposition the press to its new location — an operation that combined precise crane work with careful coordination to avoid disrupting the surrounding production environment.
Dismantling and Relocating a 173-Tonne Press to Benoni
The second phase required the complete mechanical dismantlement of a 173-tonne press into six manageable 25-tonne cylinder ram sections for transport to Dunlop’s Benoni plant. Reef Rigging’s experienced team of riggers and fitters carried out the dismantlement, loaded each section for transport, and then reassembled the press in the live factory production environment at Benoni. End-to-end alignment, re-assembly, and recommissioning were carried out with minimal production downtime — reflecting the detailed pre-work planning that made the tight schedule achievable.
For factory reconfiguration, heavy press relocation, and inter-site equipment transport services, contact Reef Rigging.