Crane Components
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The European factor
Continental drive technology still retains an edge over budget competitors. Alex Hughes reports 14 Feb 2012 - Port Strategy
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Wonder drug for poor life expectancy
With good maintenance, structurally, a quayside gantry crane could remain in service for more than 40 years. But drive control systems are letting the team down, with a life expectancy of just 15 years. 11 Feb 2011 - Port Strategy
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Tackling tool expense
Hybrid drive solutions offer a timely method to slash crane operating costs, finds Alex Hughes 10 Feb 2011 - Port Strategy
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More joy of retrofitting
Today's global economics have had a very particular effect on the crane world.
27 Jan 2010 - Port Strategy -
A matter of control
Intelligent controls and a green agenda are changing RTG drives for the better, as Stevie Knight discovers 26 Jan 2010 - Port Strategy
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East meets west
European crane components are increasingly heading east to bolster the Asia's new dominant manufacturing forces 23 Mar 2009 - Port Strategy
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Driven by efficiency
Ports can make significant fuel savings by selecting the right drive for their container handling operations, writes Patrik Wheater
30 Jan 2008 - Port Strategy -
I JUST SAT THERE THINKING. . .
When a reporter asked one of the returning astronauts what his secret thoughts had been immediately before the launch he said: " I just sat there thinking that this remarkable piece of hardware had 40,000 components, all of them supplied by the lowest bidder." Just how many crane operators have such thoughts is hard to say but Nick Elliott talked to a number of specialists to ascertain what components are most likely to fail and how to avoid or cope with the situation. 01 Mar 2005 - Port Strategy
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WHY'S AND HOW'S OF COMPONENT FAILURE
In a paper entitled 'Crane Modernisation - Why and How', Tek Soon Chong, Jimmy Liang and Peter Darley of Singapore's Portek, pick up on a number of useful component issues including that of spare part availability: " The heart of a container quay crane is the drive control system, " they say. " The economic life of the drive control system is about 15 years. The technology, performance standards and reliability of drive control systems are continually evolving. After 15 years, changing technology and diminishing spare parts support makes the overall performance of the drive less than satisfactory to the user in comparison to what is available with new equipment. Less availability means less revenue and higher operating costs. 01 Mar 2005 - Port Strategy
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MAN vs MACHINE THE CONTROL SYSTEM CONUNDRUM
Container ship-to-shore gantry cranes. Not only are these pricey behemoths the key interface between the ship and the landside, they also represent today and tomorrow' s boundary between manual and automated operation on the terminal. 01 Apr 2004 - Port Strategy
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THE DRIVE FOR BETTER CRANE CONTROL
To gain an insight into the way system designers can build intelligent controls into a crane, PS asked Wales-based Control Techniques Ltd to explain their approach. 01 Apr 2004 - Port Strategy
