Crane Coverage for Bombardier’s Pearson Facility

Located at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Bombardier operates a state-of-the-art, 750,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility dedicated to the assembly of the Global 6500 and 7500 aircraft series.

During the facility’s design phase, Stantec consulted with Acculift to help engineer a crane system capable of supporting large-scale aircraft production. From day one, the objective was clear. Design a system that would deliver complete crane hook coverage across the entire production floor — without compromising the massive clear-span requirements needed for aircraft to move seamlessly through the production line.

The CHALLENGE

Designing crane infrastructure for an aerospace manufacturing facility of this scale required balancing performance, structural limitations, and production workflow. The goal was to deliver full crane hook coverage across the entire production floor while maintaining the large clear spans needed for aircraft to move freely along the assembly line.

At the same time, the crane system had to integrate seamlessly within a highly engineered building structure and meet strict safety and operational requirements expected in aerospace manufacturing.

Achieving full coverage without compromising open floor space introduced significant engineering complexity. Numerous coordination meetings, specification reviews, and design discussions were required to ensure the final system aligned with Bombardier’s production needs, the building’s structural parameters, and the facility’s long-term operational goals.

The SOLUTION

Working collaboratively with Stantec and later alongside Ledcor Construction during execution, Acculift engineered and delivered a system specifically designed to meet the demands of aerospace manufacturing.

The finalized solution included:

  • 11 multi-span underhung bridge cranes
  • Approximately 150 feet in length per crane
  • Engineered to provide full hook coverage across the production floor
  • Designed to maintain large, clear-span areas for aircraft movement
  • Integrated seamlessly into the building’s structural framework

The multi-span underhung configuration allowed Bombardier to maintain open floor space while still achieving the lifting performance required for aircraft assembly operations.

The RESULTS

Today, Bombardier’s Pearson facility operates with complete crane coverage supporting its aircraft manufacturing process.

The system provides:

  • Efficient material movement across the production line
  • Clear, unobstructed space for aircraft traversal
  • Enhanced safety and workflow coordination
  • Long-term infrastructure built to support high-performance aerospace manufacturing.

Despite the complexity of the project and the inevitable construction challenges, Acculift worked closely with project stakeholders at every stage to deliver engineered solutions and ensure successful execution.

This project reflects Acculift’s ability to collaborate early, engineer complex multi-crane systems, and support world-class manufacturing environments.

Related Projects