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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
DECEMBER 2015
27
Another unique aspect of the cranes is
that they can be cabin or remotely-operat-
ed. Andeweg says, “Sometimes, operator
vision is impeded when working from the
cabin. In this case, it is far more effective
to operate the machine from another angle
using remote control. The cranes also boast
advanced condition monitoring systems
whereby all data is sent to the manufacturer.
This helps to ensure that the cranes are be-
ing properly handled, and also simplifies the
maintenance process.”
The cranes move on either 1,5 m or 2 m
diameter wheels fitted with industrial tyres
inflated to 10 bar pressure in order to en-
sure greater mobility while carrying a load in
challenging terrain, even with inclines of up
to 6 degrees. The cranes are also modular,
and are therefore shipped in standard 20 ft
to 40 ft containers, depending on individual
customer specifications. Andeweg highlights
that highly-qualified and experienced EMCO
technicians assemble the crane as part of
the company’s value-added service offering.
“After the client provides precise crane
specifications, it takes between 16 and
20 weeks for the machine to be manufac-
tured in Italy, with another five to eight week
shipping period, which is competitive. After
arriving onsite, it takes around ten days to
assemble the machine and to train staff on
its operation, including disassembly, in case
the crane has to be moved to another site.
We also boast a comprehensive network of
service technicians, in the event of any fail-
ures,” he notes.
Given the truly unique characteristics of the
Eden mobile gantry crane range, Andeweg
indicates that there is no similar competitor
in the local market. Although this represents
an industry breakthrough, he does admit
that it is a challenge to change the industry
mind-set to convert from the current avail-
able technology in Africa, to a new and un-
familiar one.
“In challenging economic times it is difficult
to convince operations to spend capital on
new technology. However, the long-term
cost advantages of doing so far outweigh the
perceived disadvantages. With this in mind, I
am optimistic that the cranes will be well-re-
ceived in heavy industrial manufacturing fa-
cilities, where large items of equipment are
moved from one point to another, and also
in the construction of dams and road and
railway bridges across Africa,” he adds.
With considerable investment being placed
in power generation, Andeweg believes that
this industry holds considerable potential.
“Once Medupi and Kusile power plants are
fully-operational, the older plants can be
shut down for comprehensive maintenance,
which involves the moving of generators and
components, something the Eden mobile
gantry cranes are ideally-suited to,” he says.
In addition to its international product of-
fering, EMCO has also developed a proudly
South African cable-free, battery-powered
industrial transfer car. Andeweg points out
that traditional, electrically-powered indus-
trial transfer cars, come standard with 10 m
to 20 m-long power cables, rated at be-
tween 380 V and 500 V. These are not only
restrictive, but are also a safety hazard.
“The cars can only run as far as the cables
allow them to, and high-voltage cables run-
ning for extended distances across work-
shop floors can prove to be hazardous ob-
structions to other tasks taking place under
the same roof. The battery-powered EMCO
industrial transfer car simultaneously elim-
inates both of these hazards, while saving
on overall energy costs, thanks to the low
charging time (three hours) to enable up to
ten hours of operation,” Andeweg states.
The battery-operated EMCO industrial
transfer car also eliminates the risk of using
forklifts to move items that they are not de-
signed to move. “Forklift drivers sometimes
carry uneven loads at high speed to move
items from one factory or storage facility to
the next. This creates a tipping risk, which in
turn creates a safety hazard to everyone in
the near vicinity,” Andeweg comments.
The concept of a battery-powered industri-
al transfer car is still relatively-new on an
international scale, and Andeweg is confi-
dent that it will be well-received particularly
in South Africa, which has well-established
heavy engineering and manufacturing infra-
structure.
“The physical structure of the vehicle re-
mains unchanged, and battery sizes range
between 12 V and 48 V, depending on the
size of the car, which will be manufactured
locally. This ensures sustainable job cre-
ation, as well as a cost saving of up to ten
percent, when compared to standard cars.
Bearing this in mind, we have already re-
ceived a design request from a large manu-
facturing facility in South Africa. This places
us in good stead for future growth,” he con-
cludes.
LIFTING