Natural Stone Surfaces, one of the UK’s leading stone manufacturers, has selected Street Crane for the supply and installation of new materials handling equipment to help boost productivity at its manufacturing facility. A variety of Street’s workstation lifting systems have been installed at the plant to safely and efficiently move large natural stone slabs at 10 separate workstations for polishing, cleaning and sealing. The systems include a multi-hoist light crane system and two jib cranes. All hoists have been fitted with vacuum lifting pads for gentle handling of the polished stone products. The light crane system is supported on a freestanding gantry system that is fixed to the existing floor. Each light crane beam has a span of six metres and 500 kg safe working load. Mathew Milner, director at Natural Stone Surfaces, said: “We’ve expanded rapidly over the last year, doubling our manufacturing space to help meet a growing demand for our products across the UK and in Europe. In line with this expansion, we approached Street Crane to develop a solution that would improve our production processes. “The new system has removed the need for forklifts and manual lifting, which has enhanced the health and safety of our operations, maximised space and enabled us to work faster and more efficiently. As a result, we anticipate that we will be able to boost productivity by 50 per cent over the next 12 months.” Chris Lindley-Smith, sales director at Street Crane added: “Our light crane system is tailor-made for each application and has a modular, flexible design so can be installed easily and quickly. “At Natural Stone Surfaces, it took just seven days to install ensuring minimal downtime and resulting in a cost-effective, durable solution that is making its workstations more efficient and improving the operating environment for staff. “ Based in High Peak, Derbyshire, Natural Stone Surfaces has a 70-strong workforce at its 25,000 sq ft manufacturing facility. The business supplies bespoke granite, marble, quartz, slate, limestone, travertine and semi-precious stone work surfaces to kitchen studios and interior designers throughout the UK and Europe.