Overview
AMTEK-HMH roller conveyors move structural-steel members along a defined line, while hydraulic cross transfers lift and move them between lanes—a potential fit for repeatable routes between staging and processing points when the member, layout and machine interfaces align.
- Listed specifications include 3.5-inch rollers, ANSI 60 chain drive and 1,000 pounds per roller; cross transfers list an 8,000-pound lift capacity per unit and a 15-to-20-foot transfer length. These figures do not confirm a complete system’s capacity or fit.
- Fixed conveying suits recurring movement between known points. Changing destinations, receiving and loading, off-route travel and exceptions may still require cranes or forklifts.
- For configuration review, provide typical and maximum member weights and dimensions, a floor layout, machine locations and elevations, transfer distances, and route frequency.
AMTEK-HMH roller conveyors and hydraulic cross transfers fit Arizona structural-steel shops when long members repeatedly travel between known staging and processing points. The conveyors carry steel along a line; hydraulic cross transfers lift, carry, and push members laterally between lanes. When the layout and route fit, that arrangement can reduce the need for separate picks on the between-station segment.
The Mac-Tech catalog product, AFFORDABLE HEAVY DUTY MATERIAL HANDLING BY AMTEK, corresponds to AMTEK-HMH heavy-duty material handling. The handling equipment moves members; a saw, drill line, or other connected machine performs the processing.
What the conveyors and cross transfers do
Roller conveyor sections support members as they travel along a defined path. At a lane change, a hydraulic cross transfer lifts a member, carries it across, and pushes it onto the receiving lane. The product is presented for structural-steel fabrication, drill lines, beam lines, saw lines, and material staging.
AMTEK-HMH roller sections are listed with 3.5-inch rollers, ANSI 60 chain drive, and a rating of 1,000 pounds per roller. The cross-transfer specification lists an 8,000-pound lift capacity per unit and a 15-to-20-foot transfer length. Conveyor height is customer-specified, and sections are offered in multiple configurations. These listed figures are useful starting points, not a complete system rating or confirmation that a particular member and layout will fit.
A per-roller rating does not establish the capacity of an entire conveyor line. Member weight, cross-section, support spacing, and contact locations affect how the load reaches the rollers. Confirm the exact quoted conveyor variant and approved loading arrangement. For a cross transfer, compare the member and its orientation with the proposed lift, travel distance, pickup and set-down points, and receiving-lane geometry.
When a fixed route makes sense
The strongest application is recurring movement between known points—for example, from staging to a saw or drill line, or laterally between adjacent processing lanes. Conveyor sections can also connect or extend a line when their height and transitions match neighboring equipment and the member can enter and leave each station in the required orientation.
Fixed conveying is less suitable when members regularly branch to changing destinations. A dedicated route occupies floor space and serves a defined path; cranes or forklifts may still be needed for receiving, loading, off-route travel, and exceptions. Compare the volume and repeatability of the proposed route with the flexibility of existing handling before assuming a conveyor line can replace other material movement across the shop.
Fit the equipment to the work and layout
Begin with the members: typical and maximum weights, lengths, cross-sections, and support or contact locations. Then map the route, including saw and drill infeed and discharge elevations, conveyor height, gaps, transfer distance, pickup and set-down elevations, and the member’s orientation at each transition. Because conveyor height is specified for the customer, these interfaces should inform the configuration.
Show the proposed line on a floor layout that includes aisles, pedestrian routes, forklift paths, crane coverage, loading areas, and maintenance access. OSHA 1910.176 requires sufficient safe clearance for mechanical handling equipment and requires aisles and passageways to be kept clear and in good repair. Rollers and transfer mechanisms also warrant review for moving-part hazards, including ingoing nip points. OSHA 1910.212 requires machine guarding to protect operators and other employees in the machine area; confirm the proposed guarding and operator access for the actual installation rather than assuming the product description specifies them.
Bring a floor layout, typical and maximum member weights and dimensions, machine locations and elevations, transfer distances, and an estimate of how often each route is used. I’m Dave Graf, Mac-Tech Regional Sales Executive for Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, California, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Oregon. I can help assess whether the AMTEK-HMH configuration fits the work, route, machine interfaces, and access needs you describe.
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