UTEC Industrial · Material Handling Systems
Industrial Material Handling Systems
UTEC Industrial designs, engineers, and manufactures custom heavy material handling and systems automation equipment for aerospace, defense, lumber, aluminum, and steel industries — all from our 25,000 sq ft facility in Spokane, WA.
Turnkey Material Handling Solutions
UTEC builds complete material handling systems from concept through commissioning. Every project is engineered, fabricated, machined, assembled, and tested under one roof — eliminating coordination delays and quality gaps that come with multi-vendor projects.
What We Build
UTEC manufactures:
- Automated conveyor systems
- Positioning cranes
- Transfer cars
- Ingot handling equipment
- Lumber stackers
- Satellite deployment testing systems
- Custom process automation equipment
Our systems handle loads from 500 lbs to over 500,000 lbs in continuous-duty industrial environments.
Each system integrates structural steel fabrication, precision CNC machining, electrical wiring, PLC (programmable logic controller) programming, and on-site commissioning into a single deliverable — tested and ready to operate.
Industries Served
- Aerospace and satellite manufacturing
- Defense and military systems
- Primary aluminum and steel production
- Lumber and wood products processing
- Mining and mineral processing
- Observatory and scientific instrumentation
Engineering Capabilities
UTEC's engineering team handles mechanical design, electrical design, and controls programming for every material handling system we build.
Mechanical Engineering
3D solid modeling, finite element analysis (FEA), and detailed fabrication drawings. UTEC engineers design structures for extreme loads, high temperatures, and corrosive environments found in primary metals and aerospace applications.
Electrical & Controls Engineering
Complete electrical design, panel layout, wiring diagrams, and PLC programming. UTEC is a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator with Allen-Bradley certification for industrial control systems.
Fabrication & Machining
UTEC's 25,000 sq ft facility houses overhead cranes from 3 to 50 tons, CNC machining centers, welding stations, and a car-bottom heat treating furnace — everything needed to build heavy industrial equipment from raw steel to finished assemblies.
Heavy Fabrication
Structural steel fabrication, plate cutting, forming, and welding for frames, bases, and enclosures. UTEC handles weldments from small brackets to multi-ton structural assemblies.
CNC Machining
Precision machining on Mori Seiki, Mazak, and Monarch equipment. Gantry sawing up to 50 x 84 inches, milling, and lathe turning to 48-inch diameter with tolerances to ±0.001 inches.
Heat Treating
On-site car-bottom furnace (6 ft x 10 ft x 17 ft, 1,800 °F, 50-ton capacity) for annealing, stress relieving, and normalizing. In-house induction hardening for crane wheels and wear components.
Systems Integration
UTEC delivers fully integrated material handling systems — not just fabricated components. Every system leaves our facility with mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and software systems tested and ready for installation.
What Integration Includes
- Complete mechanical assembly with precision alignment
- Full electrical wiring and termination
- PLC and HMI (human-machine interface) programming with operator interface screens
- Factory acceptance testing (FAT) before shipment
- On-site installation support and commissioning
Key Specifications
- 25,000 sq ft fabrication facility
- Overhead cranes: 3-ton to 50-ton capacity
- Car-bottom furnace: 1,800 °F, 50-ton capacity
- CNC machining to ±0.001-inch tolerance
- Rockwell/Allen-Bradley certified integrator
- Serving industry since 1983
Frequently Asked Questions
What industries does UTEC serve with material handling systems?
UTEC builds material handling equipment for aerospace and satellite manufacturing (Lockheed Martin, Maxar Technologies), defense (RTX), primary aluminum (Kaiser Aluminum), lumber and wood products (Weyerhaeuser), steel production, mining, and scientific instrumentation (W.M. Keck Observatory).
What load capacity can UTEC material handling systems support?
UTEC designs and builds systems handling loads from 500 lbs to over 500,000 lbs. Our facility includes overhead cranes rated from 3 tons to 50 tons for in-house assembly and testing of large-scale equipment.
What certifications does UTEC hold?
UTEC is a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator and Allen-Bradley certified partner. Our engineering team has decades of experience with industrial controls platforms used in aerospace, defense, and heavy industrial applications.
What is the typical turnaround time for a material handling project?
Project timelines vary based on complexity and scope. Simple fabrication projects may take 4 to 8 weeks. Full turnkey systems with engineering, fabrication, machining, controls, and commissioning typically run 12 to 24 weeks. UTEC provides detailed schedules during the proposal phase.
Related Resources
Visit the UTEC Resource Center for technical articles, engineering references, and industry guides related to material handling and systems automation.
UTEC Resource Center
Technical articles on crane wheels, heat treating, material handling design, and industrial automation best practices.
Visit Resource CenterCrane Wheel Technical References
Detailed articles covering crane wheel materials, hardening processes, tread contour design, and replacement specifications for industrial overhead cranes.
Crane Wheel ArticlesStart Your Material Handling Project
UTEC Industrial engineers and builds complete material handling and systems automation solutions — from concept through commissioning. Contact us to discuss your next project.
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