Konecranes provides NS BlueScope Malaysia with highest levels of safety and efficiency

To those of you who are in need of lifting equipment and services, Konecranes, a Finnish company, which specialises in the manufacture and service of cranes and lifting equipment as well as the service of machine tools, can help you improve your productivity in a wide variety of industries. And to prove that, the company released various case studies for you to read. Below is one company in Malaysia in which Konecranes provided 23t overhead double girder CXT production crane.

The strong safety culture of the international BlueScope Steel Organisation has been ideally matched in service at its Malaysian NS BlueScope facility by the global safety focus of the Konecranes Group.

NS BlueScope Malaysia produces high quality products, derived from continual product research and development in Australia. They strive to provide their customers with rugged, durable steel products for every environment, from industrial and severe marine environments to fluctuating tropical climates.

“Safety takes a high priority in everything the company does, so Konecranes were a good fit for us. BlueScope has a strong safety culture and Konecranes aligns with this very well,” says Mr Mohammad Abang, Technician, NS BlueScope Malaysia.

The Konecranes Group, which operates under the market signature ‘Hooked on Safety’ is the world’s largest crane service organisations – with over 420,000 cranes under service contracts worldwide – and has enjoyed a strong relationship with the BlueScope Steel Organisation across Australasia due to both organisations’ strong safety oriented cultures.

“Konecranes is a large, well-known and reliable company, which makes service and maintenance easy. They have a really fast service time and their internal reporting is the best we’ve seen,” says Mr Abang.

“We are also constantly impressed with the availability of spare parts and the efficiency in which Konecranes can deliver and install them,” he said. Some of the cranes have recently undergone a modernisation upgrade to include a mechanical drive.

Several Konecranes overhead CXT cranes have proven their worth in service at the Malaysian facility. Since installation in 2002, 18 cranes have been used in the Selangor steel manufacturing facility that is the only local manufacturer of both ZINCALUME® and TRUECORE™ zinc/aluminium alloy-coated steel and Clean COLORBOND® pre-painted steel.

The CXT cranes, in single girder, double girder or monorail range from 0.5t to 23t and are used for loading, unloading and maintenance on production and coating lines. Konecranes also do the service and maintenance of all the cranes at the Malaysian facility.

“We like the elaborate design of the Konecranes units. We are constantly looking to improve efficiency and safety and Konecranes can provide this,” says Mr Abang.

Konecranes has built on decades of experience with proven technologies to introduce this robust and durable unit, with dual lifting speeds, a standard limit switch and versatile configurations, like hook suspension, push trolley, and motorised trolley versions.

CXT wire rope hoists utilise the latest advanced technology from the Konecranes group to extend hoist operation cycles, safety and durability. The versatile hoist can be adapted to a huge variety of applications and ensures reliably operation, regardless of the conditions.

The compact dimensions allow the CXT to utilise smaller spaces more efficiently, and different trolley configurations maximise the lifting height potential. To further optimise the efficiency of the crane, the empty hook can be driven with up to 50% higher speeds compared with the loaded hook, allowing the operator to choose the most efficient way to operate the hoist.

The latest CXT wire rope hoists are available with smart features including:

•         Adaptive Speed Range (ASR) – this allows very slow speeds, which are important in moment of load lift-off and lowering. It also has the ability to lift up to 50% faster than traditional hoisting control. ASR is typically used in light to medium lifting.
•          Extended Speed Range (ESR) – this is an extension of the ASR that allows even slower speeds. ESR is typically used in heavy to very heavy lifting.
•          Load control – designed to make the operator’s work safer and more productive
•          Positioning and area control – designed to assist the operator in positioning the load more efficiently and accurately. It also allows the crane’s working area to be adapted to the varying physical layout of individual facilities and production lines.

“These are some of the most advanced features available for cranes. We work closely with customers and engineers to produce ways of increasing safety, efficiency and productivity. Our latest smart features combine engineering expertise with knowledge of our customers,” says Mr Adrian Lim, Country Manager, Konecranes Malaysia.