IHD Solutions' Casters Expertise Smokes Production for Curly’s Rib Carts

“When we started using new casters on our rib carts, we quickly discovered that the wheels froze up once they got hot in the oven, literally putting a halt to production. Thanks to the expertise and responsiveness of IHD Solutions, delays were minimal, and we’ll be able to avoid this problem moving forward.”

We’d like to tell you about an unexpected situation we encountered, which speaks well to our expertise with casters and our ability to quickly find real solutions for the unique manufacturing demands of our clients — ultimately earning the loyalty of the John Morrell Food Group.

It began with the addition of new casters to the carts used to transport ribs through the entire cooking/smoking process which takes place at the Curly’s plant in Iowa. These carts literally hold a ton of ribs at a time, so they must be able to bear thousands of pounds, and still roll with ease as they’re pulled throughout the manufacturing facility. Add to that heavy burden, the fact that they are constantly subjected to extreme temperature changes as they travel from the cooling area to the smoker oven, and then to cooling again. That’s a lot to ask of a set of casters, and it takes the right components to function well and provide longevity.

As it happened, it didn’t take long for the new casters to malfunction. The wheels locked up when they were exposed to heat, preventing employees from removing the carts from the ovens. Not only was this a big safety issue it also caused product loss and production delays. So, they called IHD Solutions and our industry expert immediately took action.

First, he quickly determined that the brass bushings in the existing casters were incompatible with the demands of the environment. Then, he pulled new bearings from our inventory and promptly took a road trip to Sioux City. Upon arrival, he went right to work pulling the casters from the carts, making repairs and replacing them, working until they were all swapped out.

Our team’s industry expertise and dedication to going above and beyond for our clients enabled Curly’s rib production to get back on track fast, and helped to mitigate their losses better than they could have anticipated — solid evidence of our devotion to being an accountable support team for every single client, and a reason our clients value our partnership so much.