New life for old cranes

If, for instance, a crane is producing US$80.00 a move and completes 25 moves/hour, that is equivalent to US$2,000 per hour. “To the shipping line, delay due to crane breakdown could add up to another US$2,500 per hour, so maintenance (planned, preventive and predictive) cannot be over-emphasised,” notes the company.

If the electronics in a crane have reached the point where they can no longer be supported, replacing a crane can be a costly business, but for cost-conscious ports a more economic alternative is to replace the drives and add new electronics and software that not only ensure continued reliability but also enhance its productivity.

Other companies that are active in this market, such as Avtron and Control Techniques,point out that a refurbished crane with new drives can offer more functions and faster response time,but very often spare parts for old drive systems are no longer available, or even in production, replacement parts can be expensive and delivery times may long.

The solution is new electronics, including new AC or DC drives with crane-specific software that meets modern standards.New drives can provide a wide range of options, including anti-sway, along with comprehensive diagnostic systems that can be used to improve serviceability.

Control Techniques’ senior service engineer Peter Meinster offered a 40 ton multi-purpose slewing crane at the Port of Rotterdam which the company recently refurbished as an example of what can be achieved. The crane in question is one of a number at the port at a dedicated multi-purpose terminal where it was used to unload a wide variety of cargo ranging from bulk, metals such as copper and aluminium and containers.

Originally manufactured by Peiner in Germany, the crane is some 25 years old, and was increasingly liable to malfunction. Control Techniques fitted the crane with new drives and electronics, significantly enhancing its productivity, while new software enabled it to hoist faster.