Konecranes Debuts New Portal Cranes

 

Konecranes, whose portal crane design has been a proven performer for nearly 40 years, continues to develop this workhorse crane for demanding applications and environments in the steel, forest products, intermodal, biomass/ pellet and concrete industries, the company said.

 

Konecranes open lattice design is cost-effective compared to box-girder structures and allows easy inspection of critical welds throughout the life of the crane. Compared to a conventional gantry, portal cranes operate on easy-to-install and maintain tie and ballast runways. Available in straight track and rotating configurations, these portal cranes are designed for maximum flexibility, which reduces load deflection damage and associated structural and track maintenance to a minimum.

 

The first Konecranes log-handling portal crane, built in 1977, is still in operation. But while the basic design endures, the portal cranes that Konecranes is building now have evolved. They are now designed to create a smarter, safer, more productive workplace.

 

Today’s Konecranes portal cranes feature the latest ideas in crane management technology and are designed not only to improve safety, but also speed up work.

 

TRUCONNECT, Konecranes advanced Remote Monitoring technology, can revolutionize management’s awareness of how its portal cranes are actually being used. TRUCONNECT automatically monitors and captures data on the operation of the crane, which is transmitted in real-time to Konecranes where it is compiled into reports for customers. It reveals when the crane is operating and when it is idle. As part of a wide scope of available data about crane operations, it provides details of overloading and side-loading incidents, indicating when further operator training may be needed. 

 

Other available smart features range from GPS collision avoidance systems and diagnostic PLC systems to emergency egress descent devices with full body harness. The advanced ergonomic operator cabs available on current portal cranes include comfort considerations that were undreamed of when the first Konecranes portal crane was built. 

 

According to Gary Otto, Product Manager, Portal Cranes for Konecranes, many of the newest Smart Features can be also retrofitted to older portal cranes. 

 

“By adding today’s technology to your existing equipment, you can jump-start productivity and significantly improve safety,” Otto said. “Of course if you need a completely new crane, one of our new generation portal cranes can realistically be expected to do more and last even longer than they did before.”