Vanguard delivers at Isuzu plant in South Africa

The EZ-600 gantry lifting system. Photo: Vanguard

Specialist heavy lift, transport and industrial installation contractor Vanguard used a wide range of lifting and transport equipment on a complex industrial installation project in South Africa.

Working for VSL Manufacturing in Port Elizabeth Vanguard completed the turnkey installation and commissioning of a Yadon tandem press line making parts for Isuzu vehicle production.

In addition to the installation on site, Vanguard was responsible for the project cargo shipping of the press components from China to Port Elizabeth, port handling services and the specialized transport.

Site conditions presented additional complexity, with construction ongoing and only a temporary power supply available. To maintain the installation schedule, Vanguard used heavy lift equipment to allow installation works to carry on independently of overhead cranes and hydraulic gantry systems.

Vanguard’s Lift Systems gantry set up. Photo: Vanguard

Vanguard shipped, transported and installed four presses and six robots with their sound enclosures. A highlight of the operation was installation of a 200 tonne press crown.

For the specialized transport of the components to site Vanguard used a 16-axle three file Goldhofer trailer with two trucks, one pulling and one pushing. It also used a 10 axle Goldhofer trailer, plus a series of lowbeds and flatbeds.

The press crown was transported into the factory on the 10-axle Goldhofer Powered Steerable Trailer (PST). Another PST, with six axles was also used to move other components. Prior to completing the installation inside the building, where the PST was to run, the floor had to be constructed based on the maximum weight of 3.595 tonnes per tyre.

Once on site a whole range of lifting equipment was brought in, including a 600 tonne capacity EZ-600 gantry system (4 units of 4 cylinder towers) made by Riggers Manufacturing in the USA and a four-leg, 500 tonne capacity, Lift Systems Power Tower gantry system, also from the USA, used to lift in and position the 200 tonne press crown at a height of 7,850 mm.

The gantry track was set up with the rails 10.3 metres apart. The big main header beams were 13 metres long and the cross beams were 7.2 metres long. A side scroller system was also used for small sideways movements of the loads.

Vanguard working for VSL Manufacturing at the new Isuzu production plant. Photo: Vanguard

Moving in

Other lifting equipment used included an 80 tonne capacity truck crane and, for loads below 10 tonnes, forklift trucks were used.

“This project underscores the breadth of Vanguard’s integrated service offering. Completing the installation of a fully automated press line under constrained site conditions and within tight timeframes highlights the capability and commitment of our team. By supporting VSL Manufacturing and the broader Isuzu production ecosystem, Vanguard reaffirms its position as a leading provider of turnkey heavy lift, transport, and installation solutions across Africa’s automotive and industrial sectors,” commented Marius Tembo, Vanguard project engineer.

Installation work started on 5 May 2025 and mechanical completion and commissioning was achieved by 11 July.