Storage of Punched Metal

As it is not possible in a shop handling a large tonnage to punch or drill all of the material for a particular unit at the same time, sufficient space should be provided in the Punch Shop, or the Assembling Shop, or between them, for the storage of punched or drilled material, so that when the Assembling Shop is ready to start on the assembling of a given unit, or any part thereof, the metal can be located and delivered to the assemblers as wanted.

Assembling

The planning system should also provide for the performance of secondary operations, if necessary, before the delivery of the material to the Assemblers. Angles, plates, etc., frequently have to be bent before or after punching, and sheared edges of plates have to be planed; and the assembling work should not be held up by any of these operations.

As the assemblers handle the material in mill sizes, they require cranes for the rapid manipulation and holding of same while assembling. These cranes should, preferably, be operated from the floor. Overhead cranes should be provided for handling the finished pieces. The assembling area should be equipped with level skids at such a height above the floor as to permit of accurate and rapid assembling. It is important that the skids be truly level, so that the material assembled thereon will be straight and out of wind.

If girders are assembled in a vertical position, cast-iron bases, or something similar, should be provided for holding them during the assembling. These bases should be of such a character that the bottom flanges of the girders can be readily clamped thereto, in order to prevent the girders from falling over. The tops of the bases should be at the same elevation; and, if the girders are to be cambered, steel filling-pieces can be placed above the bases, so as to provide the camber desired.*

Reaming

Present-day specifications for bridgework provide, in the case of a large portion of the work, that the rivet holes shall be reamed after assembling. This requirement renders necessary the furnishing of a complete reaming equipment; and, in the end, economy will result if the reaming capacity is sufficient to take care of the entire output of the shop. Even though the specifications do not require it, economy will result from the reaming of all rivet holes after assembling. The reamers should be power-driven and capable of being forced up to the capacity of the drills.

Level skids should be furnished in the reaming area on which the

* The author deems the cambering of plate-girders to be absolutely unnecessary and, consequently, uneconomic.