H&B Machine

H&B Machine Corporation was founded in 1947 by Joseph Bracht as a maintenance machine shop for the flourishing and expanding graphic arts industry.  Many of the jobs taken on required handling heavy components on site.  This is where our portable gantries were developed.  The applications required a lifting device that was strong yet portable, many times being hauled, set-up, used and taken-down by one person.  All the original models were all steel construction.  Many customers saw the gantries in use and liked what they saw.  H&B began building them for many local machinery movers, machine re-builders, millwrights and bank vault installation companies.  The gantries were very portable but still heavy.  WW II brought on many technological advancements.  One of them was making aluminum a common structural material as well as the ability to weld it with relative ease.  In the early 1960's H&B built it's first aluminum gantry.  It caught on quick.  What was portable and easy to use to begin with just got more portable and easier to use.    The 1960's also brought on a new application for the H&B Aluminum Gantry.  Most commercial & office building were not air conditioned.  At the the time, most new buildings being built had air conditioning installed at construction and many existing building were being retrofitted with air conditioning systems.  Installation as well as maintenance required lifting and assembling many heavy components such as motors, fittings, compressors, and chiller end caps.  Equipment and boiler rooms rarely had any provisions for material handling.  Space is always tight so the lifting device had to be small, light weight, and very maneuverable.  The H&B Aluminum Gantry worked perfectly.  Today, a large percentage of our gantry users are mechanical contractors world wide.  Through the years we developed over ten standard models as well as custom designed models for specific needs.  Most standard gantry models, I beams, hoists, trolleys and machinery dollies are available on a rental basis.  H&B has not forgotten how we began.  We still operate a full service machine & welding shop for all industrial applications including specialty components, repair, and short-run production applications.  some of our capabilities include CNC machining, Turning to 120' in length, boring mill work, surface grinding and & TIG welding.  After 55 years of continuous operation H&B is in it's second generation of providing quality products and services to fit your specific requirements.