Blogs Archive
Archive of blogs from the global hoist industryBlogs By Date
August 2023
Top
Preparing for the New Eu machinery regulations
Ben Dobbs, head of global standards and legislation at the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association, examines the upcoming changes between the Machinery Directive and the new Machinery Regulations.
DLM Editor's Comment: The Jewel of the Nile
Global port operator Hutchison Ports has invested $700m in two major projects in Egypt: Ain Sokhna Port and B100, a new container terminal in the Port of Alexandria, which will serve as a gateway to the Egyptian market.
Below the hook: In need of TLC
It is possible to safely lift curved plate or pipe, as found in many manufacturing applications, with specially designed clamps, writes Dale Kelly, engineering manager at The Caldwell Group.
Making hoists and lifting equipment inspections paperless and digital
Taking hoists and lifting equipment inspections paperless and digital has become increasingly popular in recent years. By utilising digital platforms, companies can streamline their inspection process, save time, reduce costs and improve the accuracy of their inspections, writes Trishan Khan, marketing manager at Australian mobile data collection provider Pervidi.
July 2023
Top
LEEA column: Responsibilities for all
Oliver Auston, CEO of Safehold and deputy chair of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association, looks at the respective responsibilities of manufacturers, importers, distributors and end users.
Sparrows Group secures North Sea crane and lifting contract
Sparrows Group, an engineering and maintenance specialists for global energy and industrial sectors, has secured a three-and-a-half-year contract with Ineos FPS to provide crane and lifting equipment operations, maintenance, engineering and inspection services on the Ineos Unity platform in the North Sea.
Editor's Comment: Firms spring into sustainable action
Konecranes announced in the spring that it had reached a milestone on its climate roadmap, with all the electricity used in its factories last year coming from renewable sources. It’s a fantastic achievement, although I was actually more impressed by an answer to an interview question I’d asked earlier this year, around the same time as the Konecranes announcement.
Editor's Comment: Nitchi is no more
So, I almost ignored an email from a reader that dropped into my inbox recently, as I was worried it was a phishing attempt due to the random email address (you know the type: first name/surname initial, plus a stream of numbers).
Back to lifting basics
Bernie Winter, technical services at the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association, stresses the importance of competency in lifting equipment operations, maintenance and inspections.
June 2023
Top
Below the hook: The differences between spreader and lifting beams
From top rigging to lifting points, there are key differences between spreader and lifting beams, writes Dan Mongan, senior sales engineer at The Caldwell Group.
Editor's Comment: Five trends to consider for the rest of 2023
At the start of the year, the US Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) highlighted five trends to watch out for in 2023
Kalmar to supply reachstackers to French multimodal terminal operator
Kalmar has also concluded an agreement to supply French multimodal terminal operator BTM with two Kalmar electric reachstackers. The machines will be operated at Terminal Ouest Provence (TOP), a new multimodal development due to be completed in Q2 2024. The order was booked in Cargotec’s Q2 2023 order intake and the machines are scheduled to be delivered during Q1 2024.
Breakbulk Europe 2023 attendance up 15% on last year
Breakbulk Europe 2023 at the Rotterdam Ahoy exhibition centre in the Netherlands saw total attendees increase by 15% compared with 2022, as 10,445 supply chain professionals came together for the event that took place on 6-8 June.
Updating overhead cranes
Nirag Chokshi, managing partner at Techno Industries, makes the case for upgrading crane parts rather than buying a whole new crane outright.
US ports industry needs to embrace automation
The US ports and logistics industry needs to embrace automation to improve efficiency, according to The White House’s supply chain envoy Stephen Lyons.
AAL on the up in Middle east following positive trade outlook
Since establishing its AAL Middle East representative office in Dubai in early 2015, AAL Shipping’s (AAL) commercial presence in the region has grown to the point that the carrier is operating at least one scheduled multipurpose heavy lift cargo sailing through the region each month – via its Europe, Middle East/India, Asia Liner Service – with additional tramp sailings in support of customer demand.
How retrofitting magnet controllers can improve crane ROI
Operators should consider how they can introduce newer technologies alongside the crane to improve productivity and safety while reducing costs, writes Andy Swann, business development manager for cranes and power transmission at cranes specialist CP Automation.
Dockside Americas: The year of imagination
We round-up the latest news from the Americas, beginning with the Port of Long Beach highlighting its zero-emissions renewable energy projects.
ABP rolls out terminal operating system in Newport
Associated British Ports (ABP) has successfully completed the roll-out of a terminal operating system (TOS) – CommTrac v4 – at the port in Newport, South Wales.
DP world cuts carbon emissions by 55%
DP World’s container terminal at Southampton, UK, enjoyed its greenest-ever year in 2022 after delivering a 55% reduction in net carbon emissions from its fleet and installations.