Design – Riggs Machine and Fabricating, Inc.

Bag Lifter – (Lifting Devices)

07/30/2021RMF

Getting materials and products across your facility, off of trucks, or onto storage takes various methods. Occasionally it will involve using a support structure that can safely manage the load. These devices spread the weight out evenly or allow you to lift multiple items at a time.

New Bag Lifter - Welding Begins — Welding Begins

The unit shown here is a bag lifter. It lifts a single 1,000 lb. bag of dry product manufactured at the facility and allows them to quickly move them to a waiting fork lift.

Original Bag Lifter - End Hook — Original Bag Lifter – End Hook

The original unit was worn and in the redesign, we took the opportunity to reinforce the lifting eye with additional material.

New Bag Lifter - Reinforced Lifting Eye — Reinforced Lifting Eye

Often, such lifting devices have to be load rated. The design will be reviewed by an engineering firm and the final unit structurally tested. At that point, a placard will be placed on the unit noting its load limit.

New Bag Lifter - Arm Detail — Arm Detail

Here you can follow the job as it moves through the shop. From reverse engineering the original unit, to receiving the parts from the metal shop. Next we lay out and inspect the components. The tack-up process happens and then final welding. A coat of safety yellow (you really want to see anything that is lifted from a crane) is applied.

New Bag Lifter - Parts Bundle — Parts Bundle

New Bag Lifter - Parts Layout — New Bag Lifter – Parts Layout

This sturdy, reinforced bag lifter will provide many years of dependable service. That’s the goal of the products we provide at Riggs. They’re the best parts and components in your shop.

New Bag Lifter - Final Unit — Final Unit

Those parts, much like Riggs Machine & Fabricating, are the ones you can count on for dependability.

Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!

Mobile Safety Barrier

01/31/2020RMF

“When a Simple (traffic) Cone Won’t Do”

Movable Safety Barrier - 3D Render

There are several solutions to protecting workers and areas vulnerable to hazards like pedestrian and industrial traffic.

Some companies throw out a few cones, maybe even adding a flag or two for visibility. Then there’s the flimsy plastic folding barriers you might have seen around an out-of-service restroom at the mall.

But these solutions are not suitable for industrial environments. They don’t offer any real protection. They’re just one step up from wishful thinking.

Riggs Machine would like to suggest a better solution: the Mobile Safety Barrier.

This item protects the area around workers while in underground accesses such as manholes and maintenance openings or above ground on ladders.

Movable Safety Barrier - Man in Barrier

Highly Visible – can be see by those walking around the area and in vehicles and forklifts.

Movable Safety Barrier - Side View

Due to its sturdy design, it will not fold or buckle in high winds or bad weather. Can be bumped and still remain in position. It’s solid metal frame can withstand the harsh plant environment. Unlike plastic units, it can be painted any color or modified if necessary.

Movable Safety Barrier - Caster

The Mobile Safety Barrier positions easily on heavy duty casters and can be loaded on a flatbed for quick offsite setup.

This convenient, sturdy, mobile, highly visible unit increases safety in your facility.

Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!

Shims – more than just a strip of metal

04/12/201904/17/2019RMF

SHIM – A washer or thin strip of metal used to align parts, make them fit or reduce wear.

These, sometimes extremely slender, strips of metal are very crucial in industrial operations. From getting a pump to line up perfectly or to make a surface level, a shim must be exact.

Shims come in a variety of materials, but most commonly from metals such as carbon steel, brass and stainless steel. And they also vary greatly in their thickness from up to 1/4” thick and down to .001 thick (imagine an industrial foil).

.003 thick shims – for precise applications

And the tolerances they must hold are key to their functionality. They cannot deviate across the surface, their dimensions must be held.

Often industrial shims come in sets of varying thicknesses. They can be added individually to get the final adjustments perfect.

They also come in many different shapes, often having to be custom designed to fit around existing bolt holes and other features. We like to add the small hand holds (show below) to make installation and adjustment easier.

At Riggs Machine and Fabricating we understand Industrial Shims and their importance in setup, maintenance and repairs. We understand the tolerances and design elements that separate a shim from a strip of metal. Yes, there is a difference. If the shop you are working with now doesn’t agree with that, then you are working with the wrong place. Time to call Riggs Machine.

Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!

A Fabrication Story – The Bearing Pedestal

03/20/201904/17/2019RMF

There’s a reason for the fabricating in Riggs Machine & Fabricating. Here’s a perfect example. A client has an older machinery pedestal in very poor condition and needs a new assembly. There are, of course, no design drawings for the item, but luckily we can bring it to our shop.

First we make hand sketches of the unit. We review the original design to see if there were any structural defects that should be improved or any new features that the client would like to have implemented in the current design.

Next, these sketches are converted to CAD drawings and then 3D models are created for fit-up and testing. It’s much faster (and cheaper) to test a new design in 3D than it is after cutting 1/2” thick plates. When we are satisfied with the design, the files are sent out to have plates cut.

This is what we get back from the waterjet cutters (Swift Manufacturing), nice pallet of loose parts. Now fabrication begins. If the designers did their work properly, the welders job should go smoothly.

And here we have the final assembly. From hand sketches to CAD to 3D models to cut parts to fabrication in less time than it takes some companies to return your call.

Riggs Machine & Fabricating – Serving industry in KY, OH and WV for over 45 years!

Welcome Gregg Nichols to the Riggs Team!

01/24/2019RMF

We’d like to welcome Gregg Nichols to our staff. Gregg has a combined 28 years in Industrial Distribution & Manufacturing Operations and Sales.

His prior experience includes 5 years with Perfection Rubber (operations manager and sales), 18 years with MSC / Dolin Supply (team leader and outside sales) and 4 years with American producers (outside and industrial sales)

The business segments he previously focused on included:

Coal
Construction
Chemical
Manufacturing
Petroleum
Power Generation
Steel Production

Gregg’s areas of expertise include:

Hydraulic Hoses, Tubes and Fittings
Metal working – Machining – Hole Making
Material Handling (lifting and rigging)
Pipes, Valves & Fittings
Safety

Gregg has jumped right in and got off to a strong start. His outgoing personality and years of knowledge have been a perfect fit here at Riggs. Call him for a visit to your facility and see why he’s an invaluable asset to our team!

Is Your Scaffold System OSHA Compliant?

06/14/201812/17/2021RMF

Do you use long term scaffolding in place of permanent platforms? Are they stable, secure and up to the new OSHA regulations? Are you still renting your scaffolding and paying for it month after month?

FALL PROTECTION & SCAFFOLDING VIOLATIONS

remain among OSHA’s most frequently cited standard violations.*

OSHA violations are now subject to higher penalties,

this signals a 78% increase in penalty amounts.*

Convert your temporary, unstable scaffolding to a sturdy, permanent structure. No more rentals, no more repairs, no more guard rails that are dangerously low and above all, avoid the fear of those outrageous OSHA fines.

A Riggs Machine representative will review your current needs and outline the best options for your facility. We even offer 3D renders of the unit before construction begins so you can visualize the actual unit design.

Walkways – Handrail – Ladders

Riggs can not only deliver new assemblies for your facility, but update your existing equipment to bring it up to the new standards.

OSHA – Final Rule to Update General Industry Walking-Working Surface and Fall Protection Standards

OSHA – Top Violations

* bdlaw.com – Notes regarding OSHA penalty increases and violation citation frequency.

Engine Case Blower

05/09/2018RMF

This assembly is used in an automobile assembly line. When engine cases come out of a bath after final machining, the fluid needs to be cleaned off before handling and assembly.

This blower unit utilizes a series of Exair Air Knives to create walls of air to blow the cases dry. It also uses a SMC air cylinder to raise and lower the case in and out of the unit.

Custom Replacement Parts

04/18/2018RMF

Your facility has a 50 year old unit and replacement parts are not available. You have no drawings and the few parts you do have look like this!

This is a problem we see with the aging facilities common in our area. Luckily quick in-house replacement parts are one of our specialties.

No on-line hunting for parts – No stealing from other units! Give Riggs a call and get running again.

The Gator – First Test

04/11/201804/11/2018RMF

The Gator is a remote controlled tank cleaning unit we built for Veolia Environmental Services. It is driven into large tanks to clean the walls of hazardous materials. Its infrared lights cut through the dark and mist while recording all operations from the safety of a control booth.

This is a test of the unit running up a ramp and squeezing through a manway as it would enter a tank in the field.

Slot Cutter Overview

04/09/2018RMF

The Slot Cutter is used to square up the walls in potash mines. Its unique cutting head with a 16 foot cutting blade, can spin 360º and fold over to travel through the mine.