Leading designer and constructor of commercial and defence vessels, Austal, teams up with crane supplier Konecranes to achieve a lifting solution for very large ship sections under construction.
Austal approached Konecranes seeking an improved working method to lifting and moving assembled ship sections.
Based in Henderson, eight kilometres south of the port city of Fremantle in Western Australia, the shipyard’s building halls utilise 32 Konecranes CXT monorail hoists, each with a capacity of 3.2 tonnes.
They travel east-west along the 110m x 28m wide building halls on monorails, with up to several hoists on each rail. The hoists can be moved from monorail to monorail within the multiple bay building as required.
Austal had formerly used the cranes of another supplier.
"We needed up to 16 people each with a control button to lift an assembled section of ship," recalled Phil Growden, Site Services Manager at Austal.
"This was simply impractical, so we asked Konecranes for something better. They came up with a solution of multiple remote controls, whereby a single operator can typically control 16 designated hoists and up to 20 at a time. We’re pleased with their solution, which works well in practice. We need only one operator, it’s easy for the operator – and certainly safer as well.
“Konecranes were the only crane supplier who could give us the multiple crane controls we needed,” said Mr Growden, whose company makes a substantial range of innovative vessels for the international market, including passenger and vehicle ferries, patrol boats, combat ships, multi-role vessels and luxury private cruisers.
"Operating many hoists simultaneously to provide a balanced and coordinated lift of large and heavy assemblies might seem difficult, but Konecranes prides itself on facing and overcoming such challenges on a regular basis," says Trevor Ednie, Sales Manager WA and SA for Konecranes.
"We were pleased to be able to devise this type of solution for Austal, which makes best use of the advanced lifting technology, sophisticated remote controls and human problem-solving skills that Konecranes is renowned for."
Konecranes has also supplied Austal with underslung gantry cranes which ass have remote radio controls.
Konecranes maintains all cranes on site at Austal in Henderson, whether initially supplied by Konecranes or by other crane manufacturers.
Austal approached Konecranes seeking an improved working method to lifting and moving assembled ship sections.
Based in Henderson, eight kilometres south of the port city of Fremantle in Western Australia, the shipyard’s building halls utilise 32 Konecranes CXT monorail hoists, each with a capacity of 3.2 tonnes.
They travel east-west along the 110m x 28m wide building halls on monorails, with up to several hoists on each rail. The hoists can be moved from monorail to monorail within the multiple bay building as required.
Austal had formerly used the cranes of another supplier.
"We needed up to 16 people each with a control button to lift an assembled section of ship," recalled Phil Growden, Site Services Manager at Austal.
"This was simply impractical, so we asked Konecranes for something better. They came up with a solution of multiple remote controls, whereby a single operator can typically control 16 designated hoists and up to 20 at a time. We’re pleased with their solution, which works well in practice. We need only one operator, it’s easy for the operator – and certainly safer as well.
“Konecranes were the only crane supplier who could give us the multiple crane controls we needed,” said Mr Growden, whose company makes a substantial range of innovative vessels for the international market, including passenger and vehicle ferries, patrol boats, combat ships, multi-role vessels and luxury private cruisers.
"Operating many hoists simultaneously to provide a balanced and coordinated lift of large and heavy assemblies might seem difficult, but Konecranes prides itself on facing and overcoming such challenges on a regular basis," says Trevor Ednie, Sales Manager WA and SA for Konecranes.
"We were pleased to be able to devise this type of solution for Austal, which makes best use of the advanced lifting technology, sophisticated remote controls and human problem-solving skills that Konecranes is renowned for."
Konecranes has also supplied Austal with underslung gantry cranes which ass have remote radio controls.
Konecranes maintains all cranes on site at Austal in Henderson, whether initially supplied by Konecranes or by other crane manufacturers.
23.05.2012
