EXCLUSIVE: Digitalising equipment for peak performance

There’s been a growing demand for utilising and automating data to optimise performance, streamline maintenance and improve troubleshooting processes.

This emphasis on data-driven insights has enabled the company to create substantial value for its customers by ensuring more efficient and reliable operations.

”We encourage our customers to leverage our digital services to achieve the best possible results,” says Sampsa Oja, advanced services product manager port services, Konecranes.

”By utilising tools like TRUCONNECT and CheckApp, you can gain valuable insights, streamline processes and minimise downtime, ultimately staying ahead in a competitive industry. Investing in digitalisation is not just about adopting new technologies but also about enhancing your overall operational strategy for long-term success.”

New offerings

Over the past year, Konecranes has introduced several digital products designed to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions for its customers.

These innovations reflect its commitment to providing digital solutions that not only improve efficiency, but also contribute to sustainability efforts by reducing emissions.

Konecranes latest API products streamline data flows by automating the connection between different systems, such as those for spare parts and equipment data. This automation enhances overall process efficiency and enables seamless integration.

A landmark piece of technology added to the API range is TRUCONNECT which provides a standard and secure way for different applications to connect and share information without user intervention.

TRUCONNECT enables customers to compare data on emissions, fuel savings, energy usage and carbon dioxide consumption, allowing them to take informed actions to optimise their operations.

It’s accessible on the yourKONECRANES customer portal and can relay safety-related occurrences, such as brake service life, over-temperatures, attempted overloads and emergency stops.

It can also give analyses of critical alerts and faults and operating statistics, such as load spectrum, monitoring of hoist jogging, overloads, emergency stops, work cycles and running hours.

Konecranes has also launched a Spare Parts API. Spare parts of course make equipment ownership and lifecycle management simpler and smarter. But the company wanted to make ordering spare parts part of an automated workflow, whereby parts can be ordered directly from a company’s ERP or similar system.

Added to these new products, there is a new customer portal called YourKONECRANES (YKC), where users can access and manage their relevant digital services.

YKC combines relevant equipment data insights, documentation and management of the services all into one place. This gives users full and live visibility of all equipment usage data and the ability to manage and modify existing digital service functionalities.

Insight is king

At present, Konecranes says some of its most popular products for ports and terminals are those that provide valuable insights from equipment data.

Leading the way are TRUCONNECT and the emerging CheckApp. These products have gained popularity due to their ability to leverage data to drive better decision-making and operational improvements at ports and terminals.

Konecranes is continually exploring new ways to create value through its expanding range of digital products. But like most equipment manufacturers now, the focus is increasingly on leveraging advanced technologies, including AI and machine learning.

By using AI and sophisticated algorithms, the company plans to deliver more proactive and efficient maintenance and inspection solutions.

According to Mr Oja, these enhancements will help provide customers with even greater insights, optimising equipment performance and reducing downtime.

“Our commitment to innovation ensures that we remain at the forefront of the industry, continuously improving our services to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” says Mr Oja.

He added that the key takeaway message should be the importance of staying up-to-date and being willing to invest in digitalisation opportunities at individual ports and terminals.

“Embracing digital solutions can significantly enhance operational efficiency, improve maintenance practices and ensure optimal outcomes,” he concludes.

Digitalisation drive in New Zealand

Napier Port, which is a key gateway in and out of New Zealand, handles over 250,000 teu annually. To maintain this volume, the facility operates a sizable fleet of harbour equipment, including six Konecranes mobile harbour cranes.

As the port’s new wharf project has been completed and the wharf is operational, equipment is being modernised and redeployed.

The port decided to upgrade the drive on one of the older Konecranes GHMK 6408 cranes to improve its performance and ensure spare parts availability.

In August 2023, Napier Port had a drive upgrade retrofit and TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring installed on one of its Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbour cranes. An updated crane requires less maintenance and therefore costs less in downtime.

The result has been that crane performance has improved and can be easily monitored online while it shares common components with newer cranes in the fleet.

With three of the six mobile harbour cranes on the quay now effectively the same, productivity stays high as one crane can easily replace another if there is any downtime and maintenance is easy with guaranteed spare parts support. It’s an easy way to extend crane lifetime.

“Properly functioning equipment is vital to ensure steady and reliable service for our customers. As we expand our operations, we are expecting higher volume, so we can’t afford much downtime,” said David Broad, general manager assets and infrastructure, Napier Port.

“We are pleased to report that this retrofit has improved the crane’s performance and our overall productivity – proven by remote monitoring – and has simplified maintenance with shared spare parts.”

Turnkey solution

The Konecranes mobile harbour crane drive retrofit is a turnkey solution with customisable features for specific cranes.

In this case, the Konecranes Gottwald GHMK 6408 crane had its DC drives for hoisting and slewing replaced, as well as the variable braking resistor, its motor modules and control units.

A new onboard computer (IPC) was also installed, with VISUMATIC 8 software, along with a new monitor, keyboard, mouse and an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), to ensure safety in the unlikely event of a power failure for the electrical control room. The addition of TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring offers digital reports on crane performance and extra technical analysis to assist in maintenance.

“The success of this retrofit highlights Konecranes’ expertise with customised retrofits, which are a cost-efficient way to improve the performance and extend the useful lifetime of any crane,” said Klaus Woeste, regional sales and services director, Oceania, Konecranes Port Services.

“When their mobile harbour cranes are updated to ensure continued service, Napier Port demonstrates a strong commitment to their customers. We are proud to work with them and look forward to continuing our partnership long into the future.”

This retrofit is just one example of Konecranes’ ’Ecolifting’ effort, its continuous work to decrease the carbon footprint of its customers.

Konecranes has also completed a similar project at Bristol Port in the UK where the operator had a drive and control system retrofit and TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring installed on two Konecranes Advanced Grab Drive (AGD) unloaders.