WCA September 2014

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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2014
Industrynews
POSSIBLY one of the most spectacular
heavy component transports began on
the premises of Siempelkamp
Maschinen- und Anlagenbau in Krefeld,
Germany, in May.
The components for a closed-die
forging press which, with a press force
of 50,000 tonnes, is the largest press
built to date in Germany, and the
components of a smaller 12,500t press,
started on the journey to China.
As part of the first partial delivery, 25
parts with weights between 89t and
287t left the Siempelkamp premises to
be transported to the port of Longkou,
China, in 65 days.
In December 2012 the Chinese
Nanshan Group commissioned
Siempelkamp with the design,
construction and installation of a
50,000t closed-die forging press. A few
weeks later, the company received
another order, this time for a 12,500t
closed-die forging press.
Both presses are the heart of a newly
designed forging mill which will
manufacture forged parts made of
aluminium and titanium alloys for the
Chinese aircraft industry. Siempelkamp
supplies both presses from a single
source including the design, the casting
and the machining of the parts all the
way to their installation and start-up at
the customer’s site.
The 50,000t press for Nanshan is the
largest press ever built by
Siempelkamp, as well as in Germany.
Not only are the pressing forces of both
presses gigantic, the larger press
features dimensions that are immense,
including a lower press beam with a
weight of 287t and a movable beam
with an 11m long centrepiece. Such
figures put great challenges on the
transport of the parts.
The first lot of 25 heavy parts with
weights between 89 and 287t is now on
its way to China. This transport includes
the foundation beams, the upper and
bottom press beam, the vertical frame
components, the bottom tables as well
as the movable beam. Two additional
transport units with a similar volume will
follow so that a total of 20,000t of cargo
in 150 containers will be transported
from Krefeld to the customer’s
construction site in China.
All components with a weight above
200t are initially positioned by a
self-propelled modular transporter in
such a way that the loading of the
actual transporter and the transport out
of Siempelkamp’s production facility
becomes possible.
Each component is loaded individually
onto a heavy goods transporter. The
towing and push-back vehicles, each
powered by 680 horsepower, together
weigh 70t. On top of that is the trailer
(50t) and the press component part
(maximum 287t), adding up to a
maximum total weight of 400t. For
comparison, an empty A380 type 800
weighs 275t.
From the Siempelkamp premises in
Krefeld all press parts are transported
to the container terminal in the port of
Krefeld-Uerdingen. From there the parts
are loaded via a 400t crawler crane onto
three different inland going vessels. In
Antwerp, the cargo was reloaded onto a
seagoing vessel. To do so, onboard
cranes were used. Parts from
sub-suppliers and press component
parts already delivered to the sea port
were then loaded for the journey to the
port of Longkou, China.
Once they arrive they have to be loaded
onto heavy goods transporters and
transported to the customer’s premises
20km from the port. The parts will have
to be stored here, according to their
order of installation, until they are
needed.
Altogether three lots of similar sizes will
be shipped in the following months.
Additionally, approximately 150 sea
containers with press supplies, tools
and assembly equipment will be
shipped. The transport expenses
amount to approximately €3.5m. Both
closed-die forging presses are
expected to start operation in early
summer of 2015.
Siempelkamp Maschinen- und
Anlagenbau GmbH & Co KG –
Germany
Website:
65-day China trip is a logistics success
❍ The lower press beam weighs 287 tonnes
❍ The towing and push-back vehicles together weigh 70 tonnes. On top of that, the trailer
(50t) and the press component part (maximum 287t) add up to a total weight of more
than 400 tonnes