CUSTOMISATION: KEY COMPONENT IN NDA CRANE INSTALLATION 44 July 2016 P O W E R S Y S T E M S Hamilton-based NDA Group went in search of a crane that could tackle a specific job; it needed a crane that would not only lift, but turn. NDA’s core area of business is fabricating with specialty alloys and stainless steel for use in industry and when it came to construction of its stainless steel vessels the company needed not only a two hook system to lift then rotate the vessels, but also the added versatility of as much hook height as possible. Enter Crane Hoist Lifting. “We needed the right system that suited us and that meant that customisation was absolutely vital to suit our specific needs and facilities,” says John Smulders of NDA. Crane Hoist Lifting installed two cranes with a capacity of six tonnes (two three-tonne hoists on each crane beam) and from that moment the focus was on the needs of the customer. “Taking advice from Crane Hoist, we needed a twin hook system,” explains Mr Smulders,” but in the process of turning it means that the hook would not be above the lift point.” NDA chose Street LX chain hoists instead of wire rope hoists as with a single girder crane they are more robust for rotating stainless steel vessels when compared to wire rope hoists that are susceptible to damage when the loads are not vertical. The Street LX chain hoists have the added advantage of higher duty and good hoisting speeds when compared to standard chain hoists. With the need also for as much hook height as possible, Mr Smulders says that Crane Hoist Lifting came to the party in terms of NDA’s specific needs. “There was very limited headroom so it wasn’t fitted it with standard chain hoist but with a low headroom chain hoist.” This meant that the hook could come a lot closer to the underside of the crane beam and added an additional 350mm hook height as opposed to a traditional three-tonne chain hoist. “To add even more hook height, we then pedestaled the crane hook well above the end carriages and tapered the top of the beam to push it up even further,” explains Ian Young of Crane Hoist Lifting. “It was also necessary to fit longer end carriages to provide greater stability because of the high pedestal. “The installation is the very latest in state of the art technology, twin hoist, rotating and lifting tanks, fully radio controlled with new generation low head room chain hoists. It’s exactly what NDA needed for the jobs they are undertaking.” The operator can stand at the optimum position to make the lift thanks to the rubber-covered, shock-resistant SAGA-K2 industrial remote control, meaning they can position themselves safely away from the load and with optimum visibility. The two hoists can “talk to each other” and operate in tandem or as a single hoist. Electrical limits ensure no overloading or accidental collisions (anti-collision and anti-approach technology) which meant that NDA could have two larger cranes installed than what would usually be suitable. “Crane Hoist Lifting services both the crane and the controller and that gave us added peace of mind,” says Mr Smulders. “They met and exceeded our expectations and requirements.” EN083
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