item Southeast takes one step at a time with a custom-build project for Zeus Industrial Products.

Zeus Industrial Products, an industry leader in the world of polymer tubing, approached item Southeast with a unique idea for a custom build project: using item’s MB line to create stairway platforms that would be suitable to access their 3-story tall extrusion machines in their Aiken, South Carolina plant.

These stairways would provide access to the machines as well as a permanent mezzanine in the facility, which posed an interested design challenge to item Southeast’s engineers: how to create a stairway platform that would provide access to the necessary areas while being sturdy and semi-permanent.

Safety First

In the fine tubing extrusion process, Zeus faced the threat of a material buildup on standing surfaces, which could in turn cause a slip hazard. This led their team to select a grate material as opposed to a standard step profile, providing item Southeast’s engineers with more design flexibility. The added value of the grate material allowed for air flow and, in case of an emergency, water from fire sprinklers.

In order to secure the stairway to both the floor and to the permanent mezzanine in the facility, item engineers utilized a coupling system on top of the stairs between the platform and the mezzanine, and then floor locks on the bottom. The floor locks allow Zeus’ team to un-couple from the mezzanine, lower the platform onto casters, and move them out of the way when needed.

When completed, item Southeast provided platforms for Zeus to implement in their Aiken plant with the value and trust in item products’ longevity and integrity.

For more information on Zeus Industrial Products, click here.