Hol-Mac wanted to increase technician efficiency in its plants by making test equipment and computers more mobile. This mobility would let technicians bring equipment to areas throughout the four facilities as needed, rather then walking back and forth endlessly to static workstations.

The NB Series Mobile Workstation is equipped with a 750-watt inverter, 20-amp charger and 100-amp hour battery. Photo courtesy Newcastle Systems Inc.


One of the largest private companies in the southern United States, Hol-Mac employs more than 500 workers. The company currently has four manufacturing facilities in Bay Springs, MS, from which it serves OEMs, such as John Deere and Caterpillar, as a major supplier of steel fabrications, cylinders, refuse and recycling equipment.

The company wanted to increase technician efficiency in its plants by making test equipment and computers more mobile. This mobility would let technicians bring equipment to areas throughout the four facilities as needed, rather then walking back and forth endlessly to static workstations.

To achieve this mobility, the company purchased 18 NB Series Mobile Powered Workstations by Newcastle Systems. John Larrabee, IT manager, says the workstations “fit the bill perfectly” because they can hold and power a wide variety of equipment, including computers, printers and scanners. They also feature steel casters, which are able to withstand the harsh environment of the company’s machine center.

Each workstation comes equipped with a 750-watt inverter, 20-amp charger and 100-amp hour battery, enabling it to power up to four devices at once for about eight to 12 hours of normal use. Accessories include a post-mounted LCD holder and 3-inch-deep drawer.

Greater equipment mobility has improved Hol-Mac’s efficiency and productivity in three areas.

At the Machining Center, machinists can now bring the carts equipped with thin clients directly to the job they are machining. They also are able to access their database of detailed job drawings to determine material measurements and check inventory for the next job.

At Quality Assurance, the carts bring thin clients and test devices directly to large pieces of welded steel for quality testing. These steel pieces are typically the size of a large automobile.

In Shipping and Receiving, shipping accuracy has improved because the order picking printer and label printer are always within arm’s length, eliminating a lot of unnecessary footsteps to a static workstation.

For more on mobile powered workstations, call 781-935-3450 or visitwww.newcastlesys.com.