When it comes to expanding a work area, some might expect for the plan to include building out, increasing the overall surface area of a space. However, embracing verticality can help to increase one's return on investment in a space, as well as increasing efficiency for an entire word process. We teamed up with PanelBuilt to create a second mezzanine for Yamaha Motor Sports that had to meet very specific size and access requirements.
The Mission
After a successful installation of a mezzanine in 2019 with McGee, Yamaha Motor Sports engaged with us for a second mezzanine project. This project was one the Yamaha team had been contemplating for a while. They knew the ROI of using vertical space as opposed to building out was the right choice for this plant.
The mission was to increase the work-in-process (WIP) area where the welded frames are staged during production by moving non-value-added services to the mezzanine. In a high demand manufacturing environment, increasing the WIP storage will allow the overall unit capacity to be increased.
The Challenge
The mezzanine needed to be a very specific size that fit within the column spacing but also crossed over a forklift travel lane with 10’ minimum clearance height requirement.
The Solution
McGee teamed up with Panel Built to create a custom structure that met weight capacity requirements and maximized the available space. With guidance from the McGee/Panel Built team, we were able to recommend the appropriate footers and prepare the concrete foundation for the installation.
The installation began on the weekend and was wrapped up over several evenings when the production line was not operating to avoid work stoppage.
The Results
The mezzanine has created the expanded production floor space and capacity and provided an open, safe space for their non-value-added services on top. Yamaha intends to continue maximizing their vertical space and McGee will be ready to execute again in the future. It’s been a wonderful partnership for both.
