Specialty Industrial
Work with us to solve persistent power or control system challenges that have held back your machines or operation.
Come engineer with us
Technology innovation for special projects, one-of-a-kind machines,and unusual applications
Developing new power, control, and electrical systems
As a technology R&D company with full custom manufacturing capabilities, FLANDERS frequently helps companies in heavy industry with concept-to-commissioning solutions to persistent machine challenges.
There’s no substitute for the practical knowledge we’ve gained over 65+ years spent repairing, refurbishing, and improving power and control systems for heavy industry’s hardest working machines. We put everything we’ve learned into the new technologies we develop.
This has led to some truly groundbreaking FLANDERS innovations in motors, drives, and control systems, and we’re always building on what we’ve learned to create new and better solutions for our clients.
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Retrofit engineering and manufacturing
PORT OPERATIONS: Modernizing a defunct 1960s bucket wheel excavator
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A Great Lakes port operation had a 1960’s bucket wheel excavator that it had used for many years to move material onto conveyors to load barges for transport. Due to the age of the machine, the operations team decided a comprehensive rebuild and electrical upgrade was necessary.
FLANDERS was chosen for the project because of our extensive experience retrofitting heavy industrial machines with new control systems and electrical systems. Our role was to turn the bucket wheel into an electrically new machine, while another partner rebuilt its entire structure.
The FLANDERS control and electrical system solution included
- Engineering a custom control system, including safety PLCs
- Replacing across-the-line starters with variable frequency drives (VFDs) to mitigate conveyor starting and diesel engine loading issues
- Designing and building a new operator cab to improve ergonomics and visibility
- Designing the operator interface for the control system
- All exterior and interior industrial LED lighting
- A wireless remote control pendant for machine inspections and operation verification
The revitalized bucket wheel excavator—rebuilt to 80% new in 12 months—far exceeded the capabilities of the original machine.
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Specialty machine design
MARINE EXCAVATION: Designing an inland dredging barge from scratch
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FLANDERS partnered with a company specialized in large-scale mechanical structures to develop the concept for and assess the feasibility of a new dredging barge design. While such machines already exist, numerous additional project requirements meant we were essentially designing a mining excavator to be mounted on the back of a barge, from scratch.
Collaborating closely with our client and partners, FLANDERS designed the control systems, auxiliary power system, and motors for the dredging barge. Additionally, because the barge would be operating in remote locations, we developed a detailed field support plan to minimize the impact of routine maintenance and unplanned repairs.
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Our dredging barge design project was such a unique challenge because the boom was 100 feet long, used electrically controlled spud stabilizers, and the operators were going to have to dig without being able to see what was happening underwater. The side loading on the boom was a big deal. We had to make sure that our swing motors were robust enough to handle it, that the mechanical structures were robust enough to handle it… From a design and engineering standpoint, it was very challenging. It was exactly the kind of project we like to take on.
Learn more about our power systems
FLANDERS Electric Motors
DC & AC Drive Systems
DC to AC Upgrades
Generators & Alternators
Power Distribution Systems
