Final assembly and test of the 35 m Condra double girder overhead traveling crane for the platinum concentrator. This very large span crane is equipped with the company’s patented storm brake to counteract excessive wind forces
Condra has been pursuing the supply of custom cranes for injection molding and marine maintenance applications with a third overhead machine of unusual design that has an exceptionally large span of no less than 35 meters.
A wingspan of this size is more than twice as high as the average of fifteen meters and approaches the manufacturer’s record of 42 meters.
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The newly completed crane from Condra is not only unusually wide, but also large overall. The box girders are the size of an average man and have a 20-ton, two-speed hoist mounted on a seven-meter-wide crab with a wheel base of six meters. A work platform consisting of an open catwalk and a solid forged handrail extends over the entire length of the machine.
The crane is delivered to a platinum concentrator for maintenance. With a weight of 33.3 tons, it has a lifting height of 18.7 meters and is remotely controlled. There is a pending backup.
During the design phase of the crane, the very large size of this machine required careful consideration of the wind load. Condra’s engineers included the company’s patented storm brake to counteract the wind forces expected at the installation site.
The storm brake is activated by anemometers in two stages, the first sounding a siren when the wind speed reaches 30 km / h and the second automatically activating the brake when the wind speed reaches 50 km / h. At this point, all crane operations are deactivated and the machine is automatically secured against any movement.
Condra completed the final assembly, alignment and testing of the concentrator maintenance crane in the last week of March. No less than 260 m2 of factory space was made available for this manufacturing phase.
Three special vehicles are required for transport to the construction site: two horse-drawn carriage drivers for the two box girders and a low-loader that is loaded with the hoist, the crab, the end car, the floor block, the panels and the additional equipment.
Installation and commissioning on the concentrator is carried out by an independent contract partner with the support of Condra engineers.
Condra, based in Johannesburg, can look back on more than 50 years of manufacturing experience. The company claims to have the highest local content of any overhead crane supplier in the Central and South African region, enabling them to deliver overhead traveling cranes with the lowest possible lifetime cost, backed by a comprehensive backup service and fast parts delivery.
All Condra products are manufactured according to ISO 9000. The entire range of cranes and hoists includes capacities from 250 kg to 500 tons. A fully automatic option is offered on all machines.
The company’s success in securing significant contracts against determined competition from other key market players continues.
