Mechanical engineering company needs to upgrade its overhead lifting capabilities

A requirement to handle heavier components ensured that mechanical engineering company Kurtz Ersa would need to upgrade its overhead lifting capabilities. As a result, it turned to Stahl- und Kranbau Oeder for a brand-new crane system.

When the German engineering business commissioned a new travelling column milling machine, which works to 0.017mm accuracy over 10m, in August 2015, the new investment would enable the firm to process larger and heavier components. But as a result, it would also need a new crane to lift these larger and heavier products into the new milling machine. By upgrading, Kurtz needed to lift weights up to 16t rather than 5t, and for it to also travel on its existing crane runway.

RESTRICTED CLEARANCE

With these weight requirements, and restricted clearance forming part of the equation, Stahl- und Kranbau Oeder, one of Stahl CraneSystems' certified partners, was commissioned to produce a customised low-headroom crane with a unique design.

The manufacturer's existing crane technology was incapable of handling the increased capacities but the path to sourcing one that could, was far from straightforward.

While the limited clearance between crane runway and ceiling played a part, it was also essential to ensure that the specifications for the lower edge of the load hook were such, which could not collide with the milling machine's spindle motor.

Rudolf Lang, an engineer at Stahl- und Kranbau Oeder explains: "The crucial point of the system was definitely the restricted installation situation and the existing crane runway which we could not reinforce."

CUSTOMISED CRANE

The company supplied a customised crane with a headroom of just 943mm from the upper edge of the wire rope hoist to the lower edge of the hook, that utilises the lifting height up to 236mm below the crane runway and still manages with the restricted space above the crane runway.

Lang adds "The starting point was a standard CraneKit from Stahl CraneSystems with two 8 t wire rope hoists from the compact SH series - together with our motto: When space is tight, we're the people you need." His solution is based on a number of off-standard designs that would not be possible with a standard crane. "We had to devise a special construction for the crane bridge.

"On this crane, two SH wire rope hoists with modified crabs travel on rails mounted inside the bridge girders. Only this feature together with altering the distance between the bogie endcarriages made it possible to build such a compact crane."

The load of the system is distributed onto coupled crane endcarriages with a total of eight wheels so that the maximum load capacity of the crane runway is not exceeded.

This load is suspended from the hooks appears on the display of the radio remote control with the crane equipped with the safety features necessary for tandem operation.

This can be activated via the remote control and also enables lifting heavy and long workpieces safely.

Norbert Jonas too, Kurtz Ersa's production manager concludes: "You need creative engineers like Rudolf Lang and his colleagues to design a crane with these specifications - a remarkable achievement and a technically convincing crane. We'll certainly get in touch with Stahl- und Kranbau Oeder for future projects."

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