Air Handling Ceiling Support Structure Design and Installation for the Restaurant Industry

March 4th, 2013

At Unistrut Service Company, we routinely field inquiries from customers looking to suspend heavy equipment overhead.  We work in a variety of markets, including the medical, industrial, and commercial sectors, and our diverse customer base has given us design and fabrication expertise that is unparalleled in the industry.  This Tech Talk entry highlights an overhead, ceiling support structure for the restaurant industry.

Ace Fixtures and Restaurant Equipment recently contacted Unistrut Service Company to design and install a support structure for a CaptiveAir exhaust hood and make up air unit. Ace Fixtures has done some of the most high end restaurants in the Cleveland area, so it was an honor to work with them on this project.  Our challenge was finding a way to safely suspend heavy equipment overhead in a cost effective manner.  In addition to these parameters, we needed to complete this installation quickly so our customer’s kitchen wouldn’t be out of operation for long.

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Posted in Ceiling Support Grids


Installation of Patient Lift Systems

February 25th, 2013

Department of Labor statistics routinely cite musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s) as one of the major sources of injuries to healthcare workers.  Americans are older and heavier than ever, and as a result, healthcare workers now have a MSD incident rate that is 7 times the average of other industries.  Most industry experts agree that patient handling tasks such as repositioning patients, lifting patients in and out of bed, and placing patients on exam tables put healthcare workers at increased risk for MSD’s.  There is also a general consensus that mechanical lifts can improve safety for patients and healthcare providers alike.

Hospitals and clinics use two styles of patient lifts to reduce MSD’s:  portable lifts and permanently installed, ceiling style patient lifts.  Although portable, rolling sling require no installation and can be moved from room to room, ceiling-mounted patient lifts offer added patient and caregiver safety.  When considered a permanently mounted overhead patient lift system, special care must be taken to design and install adequate support structure to ensure the safety of the patient and staff members.  Failure of the support structure can have catastrophic consequences. 

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Posted in Medical Equipment Support


Making Tire Racks With Unistrut Framing Channel

November 29th, 2012

tire rack constructed from UnistrutVersatility and ease make Unistrut the framing channel material of choice for individuals looking for alternatives to fabricated steel structures.  With Unistrut, the welding and cutting typically associated with steel fabrication can be minimized, and in some instances, virtually eliminated.  We like to think of Unistrut as a grown up erector set—if you can imagine a design concept, chances are good, it can be built—quickly and efficiently.

Although most of our Unistrut application stories focus on industrial or medical applications, this post takes a very different twist.  The snow will be flying soon, and one of our engineers here at Unistrut Service Company owns a few cars requiring snow tires.  Changing from summer performance tires to snow tires isn’t really all that hard.  The real problem for our friend here was how to store a vast collection of over twenty tires that won’t see use again until the snow melts.  Since our application engineer designs all kinds of support structures and storage systems using Unistrut on a daily basis, it didn’t take long to assemble a materials list for a custom tire rack.

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Posted in DIY


Hilti MI Overhead Medical Equipment Support System Installation

October 19th, 2012
Hilti MI Support System

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We recently completed installation of a support structure for a heavy service boom inside a Pittsburgh area hospital.  This installation was extremely time sensitive because shutting down this portion of the hospital would have required hours of coordination with hospital staff and allowing this Cath Lab to sit idle for days would have resulted in significant amounts of lost revenue.

Some contractors utilize traditional structural steel and red iron supports when fabricating medical equipment supports but they are beginning to learn about new and improved construction techniques.

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Posted in Medical Equipment Support


Curved Unistrut Channel

October 12th, 2012
bent unistrut framing channel

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We receive periodic inquiries from engineers, architects, general contractors, and facilities managers asking about availability of curved or bent Unistrut channel, which is a perfect solution for a number of applications, including trolley fabrication. Unistrut Service Company does bend P1000 channel and offers the material in plain (PL),  Perma Green III  (PG), and pre-galvanized (PG) finishes. Pierced channel and other profiles are not available at this time. If your application requires curved or bent Unistrut P1000 channel, keep in mind the following:

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Posted in Unistrut


Unistrut Closure Strips

October 8th, 2012

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Unistrut closure strips or filler strips are ideal for covering the open portion of Unistrut Channel.  Perfect for creating a finished appearance that is pleasing to the eye, Unistrut Closure Strips are an ideal solution for Cath Labs, Radiology Rooms, and other locations where Unistrut framing channel is used.  If your application runs unsightly electrical wires through sections of Unistrut framing channel, a closure strip will help give your installation a finished look that is second to none.

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Posted in Unistrut




Unistrut Service Company

Offers Unistrut Framing Channel and Fittings, design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of UNISTRUT products.


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