TOM DUGGINS
mechanic, Bakery Chef - Division of Quaker Oats

Bakery Chef, a manufacturer of food products for McDonald’s and other corporate clients, had a severe safety problem with its overhead tote-handling system.  The system carries 1,400-pound bags of raw materials 20 feet off the ground and moves them around the plant via a 20-ton chain-lift mounted to an I-beam.

The problem?  The chain-lift had no safety device and there were instances of 1,400-pound bags falling to the floor.  Losing material and production time is one thing.  Getting plunked by a half-ton of biscuit mix is another.

The original equipment manufacturer said safety controls didn’t exist and an adequate solution was unavailable.  Enter Tom Duggins.

The 15-year veteran designed, fabricated and installed programmable logic controllers and electrical fixtures to safely move the weighty product from start to finish.  The system has worked flawlessly.

“Tom takes great pride in a job well done,” says MRO buyer and co-worker Jim Jupin.  “He’ll work weekends, holidays — whatever it takes to keep our equipment in shape and our production lines moving.”

This article appeared in the December 2000/January 2001 issue of MRO Today magazine.

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