Brakpan-based tower and gantry crane specialist HP Cranes Consulting has secured a contract to supply coil-handling machines to a new South African vehicle plant.

The eight-crane order comprises four 35/10 t, 22.5-m-span machines and a further four with capacities of 20 t and spans of 13.5 m, all designed in double-girder overhead-travelling configuration.

For Condra Cranes, the order won by HP Cranes Consulting represents about four months of work for the company’s Johannesburg factory.

“The contract additionally complements a second contract for two further 40-m-span cranes ordered by a tyre manufacturer earmarked to equip wheels fitted to the plant’s completed vehicles,” a Condra spokesperson says.

The eight cranes are all Class 3m/M6 heavy-duty machines.

“They are quick and nimble units, despite their large size, and will attain speeds of 40 m a minute on the long-travel and 30 m or 20 m a minute on the 35/10 t and 20 t machines respectively,” the company comments.

Condra designed the coil-handling cranes to be equipped with special hooks fitted to the hoists’ standard DIN15401 type.

After commissioning, they will unload, stack and position on demand the multiple steel coils delivered in bulk to the vehicle plant. Integral load cells will check and verify the weight and quantity of each coil received.

All eight cranes are fitted with digital load cell read-outs, card access and data-logging control, anti-sway technology, full-length walkways, remote control, lights, limit switches and multiple general-purpose plug points.

“Particularly noteworthy is the anti-sway technology. “Configured to maximise productivity, this technology marries variable drives to algorithms that control acceleration and deceleration across all planes, preventing any swinging of the load during crane movement,” the Condra spokesperson elaborates.