Mechanical Technology February 2015

Mechanical Technology — February 2015

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Materials handling and minerals processing

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ames Robinson, heavy lift man-

ager for the Crawler Cranes and

Projects division of Johnson Crane

Hire, says that adopting alterna-

tive lifting technologies has given the

company “an edge” in the marketplace.

“This falls within the ambit of our brand

promise: total cost effective solutions.

We have the equipment, but more im-

portantly, we have the expertise to apply

solutions. This is a highly specialised and

niche sector of the market. What sets us

apart is that our experience and intel-

lectual property reside within Johnson

Crane Hire; we are very much hands-on

and in-house.”

Robinson says that while “sometimes

there is no getting away from using a

crane,” alternative lifting technologies

come into their own in terms of expand-

ing into the African market, or where the

need arises. “We love cranes, but know

it is not always practical to send a crane

into Africa. When it is there it does the

best job possible, but the logistics of get-

ting it there is almost a project in and of

itself. Alternative lifting technologies are

a lot easier to mobilise and, therefore,

represent a more cost-effective solution

in some instances,” Robinson says.

“These are ideal when it comes to

once off projects. As soon as the work

becomes repetitive and we need to have

a lot of flexibility, then cranes are the an-

swer. However, when you can specifically

Alternative lifting technologies

Johnson Crane Hire successfully delivered a specialised lifting solution at Sasol’s Secunda

plant. The scope of the heavy-lift operation involved the removal of three vessels for the gas-

heated heat exchanger reformer (GHHER) project at the gas reforming plant.

Johnson Crane Hire’s scope of work at Otjikoto involved lifting, moving and

positioning Caterpillar gensets.

Johnson Crane Hire is positioning itself as a heavy lifting solutions

provider rather than a crane hire company as it focuses on alternative

lifting technologies as being complementary to cranes.

design a lift and it follows a certain set of

criteria, then alternative lifting technolo-

gies are the best. We are always on the

lookout for integrated solutions that best

meet our clients’ needs.”

While Johnson Crane Hire has already

used jacking and sliding techniques to

great success on some projects, Robinson

says “there is a range of other technolo-

gies where we have the know-how and

are ready to expand into if need be.”

These include hydraulic gantries and

strand jacking. However, the latest

trend is self-propelled modular trailers

(SPMTs). “These are modular trailers like

Lego pieces with hundreds of wheels un-

derneath them that are

assembled to whatever

size is needed. These

form a platform that

essentially drives itself.”

The Crawler Cranes

and Projects division

of Johnson Crane Hire

is ideally positioned to

offer such alternative

lifting technologies to

its clients. “We have in-

vested in one of the lat-

est versions of jacking

and sliding technology,

opting for a system that

is ultra-portable. This is

particularly important

in confined or cramped

areas where you cannot get any other

sliding equipment in,” Robinson says.

In keeping with its focus on total solu-

tions, Johnson Crane Hire has invested

significantly in boosting its crawler crane

fleet. “We recently expanded our big

cranes, not in terms of capacity, but in

numbers. We now have a 750 t lattice

boom truck-mounted crane, a 600 t

crawler crane and a 750 t mobile crane.”

Robinson says the truck mount lattice

boom unit has been acquired specifically

for the wind energy sector, where installa-

tion of wind turbines is a growing market

in South Africa.

Looking at the latest trends, he pre-

dicts a move towards the modularisa-

tion of plant equipment, which reduces

assembly time and enhances quality.

Modules are transported to location

and erected on site. “I think the trend

is definitely going to be for larger lifts,

which falls in line with our portfolio of

crawler cranes, in which we have made

a substantial investment, especially in

terms of capacity.”

Robinson concludes that Johnson

Crane Hire will continue to offer its

clients the latest innovations. “Within a

competitive market, clients are always

demanding better solutions. There are

some exciting innovations in alternative

technologies that we are keen to bring

to the market, as it strives to keep up

with international best practices and

standards. Our ongoing investment in

our crawler crane fleet shows we are

fully committed to our total solutions.”