E-Crane prides itself in not only supplying equipment, but rather solutions for bulk material handling challenges. After delivery and installation, E-Crane personnel remains present on site to carry out operator and maintenance staff training, as this is a practice both client and supplier will benefit from. Additional training can also be organized at the E-Crane Academy in the E-Crane HQ in Belgium, for more in depth training courses. In the instance of Bayan Resources, E-Crane is also carrying out all maintenance activities for its client. An all-in maintenance contract is in place so that Bayan can focus on its core business: coal mining. Weekly site visits are made to support the client in the best possible way. E-Crane further assists in optimizing the unloading process by continued operator training, bottleneck identification, process evaluation and by making recommendations on how the terminal operations can be optimized as a whole. Furthermore, E-Crane is on standby 24/7 in case of emergencies and also guarantees the availability of replacement parts, should they be required. All of the above illustrates E-Crane’s commitment to being a
JUNE 2017
E-Crane Worldwide has been seeing a strong demand for its products, with a substantial number of cranes being used in the coal industry. Even though market conditions have not been very favourable over the last few years, E-Cranes still find their way to users around the world and in Southeast Asia (SEA) in particular. One of the main reasons is that E-Cranes help reduce the operational cost for their users while increasing the terminal reliability, so investments can still be justified A good example can be found in Indonesia where E-Crane has received a repeat order for two coal handling E-Cranes. These two additional 2000 Series E-Cranes are scheduled to be shipped to Balikpapan for Bayan Resources, less than two years after the successful commissioning of Bayan Resources’ first E-Crane. This 2000 Series E-Crane has been working near Kota Bangun on the Mahakam River in Central Kalimantan, unloading 180–230ft flat deck barges into a dedicated hopper feeding a barge loader since the end of 2015. ‘Through barge’ unloading rates of well over 1,500tph (metric tonnes per hour) have been accomplished, with further room for improvement.
ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT
E-Crane sees continued growth in Southeast Asia
DCi 19
efficiency for many years to come. ANOTHER E-CRANE FOR INDONESIA Another floating E-Crane will also be delivered to Kalimantan in 2017 to an undisclosed Indonesian client. This particular E-Crane — with a maximum outreach of 38m and a grab capacity of 30 metric tonnes — has the ability to load Panamax and Capesize vessels at rates of well over 1,500tph. Material will be transferred directly from barges into the aforementioned seagoing vessels. This particular 2000 Series E-Crane is scheduled to be put into operation in the fourth quarter of 2017, immediately after the installation of the crane in a shipyard in Batam, Indonesia. E-CRANE E-Cranes provide longer outreach ranges than typical material handlers, from 25m to 50m. This outreach allows for unloading any type of barge or ship with minimum clean-up. E-Crane duty cycle capacity ranges from 5 to 50 metric tonnes. Although E-Cranes are compatible with any type of grab, E-Crane’s clamshell buckets are designed with a powerful closing force affording maximum fill and eliminating spills and carry-back. E-Crane cabs are equipped with a state-of-the-art control system for easy machine operation which builds operator confidence, reduces cycle times, and maximizes productivity.
ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT
long-term partner, rather than just a crane supplier. At the same time, the operational cost (energy consumption and maintenance cost) is also reduced while the machine lifetime (as a result of the crane classification) and reliability are increased, making E-Crane an advantageous economic solution. The two units currently in production for transportation to Indonesia in the fourth quarter of this year will be supported in the same way, an option also available to clients in many other parts of the world as well. This is all part of E-Crane’s philosophy that it needs to be present where its clients, or rather partners, are. Bayan’s two new E-Cranes will be used at its terminal near Balikpapan unloading barges ranging in size from 270–330ft. The layout will be such that one barge can be unloaded from one fixed position by these two cranes, without the need to shift the position of barge or cranes. The machines will be replacing two rope cranes and the E-Crane columns will be modified in such a way that the same foot print and bolt pattern can be maintained, eliminating the need for expensive civil works. Furthermore, the existing hoppers (two for each E-Crane) will receive an upgrade by adding kick plates at the back of the hopper structure, in order to increase the lading area for the grab and to reduce the time required to position the hydraulic clamshell over the hopper. These measures will certainly have a positive effect on the unloading cycle times and in this way help optimize unloading
JUNE 2017
DCi 21