Harbour cranes take to AC frequency controls, says kci

KCI Konecranes reports that its AC frequency control system, already use in its heavy industrial cranes in thousands of installations, is now becoming the main control system in its harbour cranes as well.

“These AC frequency controls benefit our customers not only in offering a very competitive price-to-performance ratio, but also in the form of low maintenance costs,” claims group technical director Matti Ruotsala.

Recent sales by Konecranes VLC of harbour cranes fitted with AC frequency controls include: • Two rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) to South Carolina State Port Authority of Charleston, USA. The cranes will be manufactured in KCI’s facilities in Finland and Europe and will be delivered in May 1999 in big sections for site erection. Seven similar RTGs were delivered to Charleston for the same customer earlier in the year.

• Four RTGs to Operadora Portuaria de Manzanillo, Mexico, which is a joint venture of Stevedoring Services of America and Transportation Maritima Mexicana.

• A 40t ship-to-shore container crane to BRE Leasing for delivery in October 1999 to the Port of Gdynia in Poland, where it will be operated by Baltic Container Terminal Ltd. It will be assembled in Finland at KCI Konecrane’s Hanko works.

• A 20t/40t multi-purpose crane to Port of Luleå, Sweden.

The total value of these orders is about $16m.

Further orders won by Konecranes VLC include a 1,500t capacity grab-type coal unloader for the port of Pori on the west coast of Finland, and a ship-to-shore container crane for Aalborg Havn in Denmark. Both are due for delivery in the second half of 1999.