Spark of Konecranes genius revitalises bridge cranes for Hydro Tasmania
Konecranes Australia has just successfully completed an intensive 30-month upgrade and refurbishment of overhead cranes in Hydro Tasmania power stations throughout the island State.
The huge undertaking ˆ Tasmania is one of Australia‚s leading producers of hydro electricity - was one of the largest and most cost-efficient energy industry projects ever undertaken by Konecranes in Australia. It led to rare Awards of Excellence for project management and quality of work.
The complex project involved significant upgrading 12 overhead cranes at 10 power stations throughout Tasmania to obtain design registration for bridge cranes exceeding 10 tonnes MRC.
The 12 cranes had been installed and commissioned between the 1930s and 1960s and reflected the technology of the time.
Konecranes Project Co-ordinator, Steven Paine, said the remote locations of the power stations and the scarcity of design drawings and other documentation added to the many challenges the Konecranes team overcame.
"Degraded rubber-insulated wiring was common - we even found deteriorated conductors in steel conduits - and there we no dedicated earth circuits. We knew we had to make big safety improvements."
The upgrades were ordered following an audit by engineering consultants Pitt and Sherry that identified the cranes which required improvements to comply with regulations.
The biggest challenge to the Konecranes team was that an overall scope of works could not be provided in advance; this had to be developed, on the job, by Steven Paine and senior electrical technician, David Green.
Long hours and constant travel added to the pressure on team members, who nevertheless were delighted with the knowledge gained and the honing of their skills.
"We were contracted to carry out the modifications and repairs to enable every crane to meet design registration," Steven explained. "Most of our work involved the 12 cranes used in the Derwent hydro scheme and in most cases the electrical control equipment of each crane had to be totally replaced or upgraded. In several cases, the cranes were stripped of all electrics and fitted with redesigned controls from the main isolator right through."
The head of maintenance services for Konecranes in Tasmania, Aaron White, said the $A2 million-plus contract was completed cost efficiently - "We worked to a timeline and managed this project with customised reporting spreadsheets developed in association with Hydro Tasmania. These spreadsheets were pivotal in the success of the project."
"To maintain full transparency and accuracy in accounting, Jack Bartimote, the Principal Consultant for LMA Partnership Pty Ltd , acted as client representative throughout the process, overseeing every job and directing any additional work necessary to achieve registration."
On the completion of the project, LMA Partnership Pty Ltd issued seldom-awarded Certificates of Excellence to Steven Paine, for project management; David Green, for electrical design and outstanding workmanship; Keith Beswick, for outstanding workmanship; and Rodney Abblitt, for dedication to quality and physical effort.
The Managing Director of Konecranes in Australia and Chief Executive for the wider Southeast Asia Pacific, Mr. Edward Yakos, praised every member of the Tasmanian team.
"The excellence of their work led to the signing of a three-year service maintenance agreement for the region including additional work within Hydro Tasmania's Gordon and Derwent systems," he said.
"This is further proof that because the Konecranes group services more than 230,000 cranes worldwide, it has a unique understanding of how to repair and maintain lifting equipment of all makes and models regardless of age."
"Konecranes knows how to help customers avoid problems and maintain world class uptime and efficiencies through the expert management of cranes and, by being able to back up local stocks of spare parts through Konecranes‚ international resource network, downtime minimisation is guaranteed. Even hard-to-get components can be on-site anywhere in Australia within days."
The company now has more than 130 specialists in crane commissioning and maintenance at 24 locations throughout Australia and New Zealand. Almost every working day, a new Konecranes machine is commissioned at an Australasian mining, aviation, transport or production facility.
Konecranes‚ clients include a who's who in Australasian and South Asian industry giants, including the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology organisation, ANSTO; Air New Zealand; Australian Cement; Cadia Mining Australia; many coal mines in Queensland‚s Bowen Basin; Contact Energy NZ; Eagle Services Asia Pte Ltd ( ESA ), a joint venture between Pratt and Whitney and SIA Engineering Company; Lihir Gold, Papua New Guinea; OneSteel Australia; Patrick Corporation container terminals; Pilkington; Ratchaburi Power Station in Thailand; paper packaging group Thaikraft; Southern Hydro ( Victoria ), and Uncle Tobys.
Worldwide, Konecranes has representatives in more than 40 countries and records sales of more than A$1-billion a year. Its products range from small jibs to powerful beam cranes able to lift more than 180 tonnes.
In Australia, an estimated 70 percent of all crane maintenance is still carried out by in-house staff. "Crane owners increasingly are realising that outsourcing of crane maintenance to professionals improves cost-efficiency, safety and uptime," Mr. Yakos says. "This growing demand is why Konecranes KCI will continue to expand in the coming decades. This will include major new crane fabrication and we have ensured that we can handle any project by equipping ourselves with the best production facilities and engineering expertise."
For more information about Konecranes, please visit:
Konecranes in Tasmania
August 2, 2006
Spark of Konecranes genius revitalises bridge cranes for Hydro Tasmania
Konecranes Australia has just successfully completed an intensive 30-month upgrade and refurbishment of overhead cranes in Hydro Tasmania power stations throughout the island State.
The huge undertaking ˆ Tasmania is one of Australia‚s leading producers of hydro electricity - was one of the largest and most cost-efficient energy industry projects ever undertaken by Konecranes in Australia. It led to rare Awards of Excellence for project management and quality of work.
The complex project involved significant upgrading 12 overhead cranes at 10 power stations throughout Tasmania to obtain design registration for bridge cranes exceeding 10 tonnes MRC.
The 12 cranes had been installed and commissioned between the 1930s and 1960s and reflected the technology of the time.
Konecranes Project Co-ordinator, Steven Paine, said the remote locations of the power stations and the scarcity of design drawings and other documentation added to the many challenges the Konecranes team overcame.
"Degraded rubber-insulated wiring was common - we even found deteriorated conductors in steel conduits - and there we no dedicated earth circuits. We knew we had to make big safety improvements."
The upgrades were ordered following an audit by engineering consultants Pitt and Sherry that identified the cranes which required improvements to comply with regulations.
The biggest challenge to the Konecranes team was that an overall scope of works could not be provided in advance; this had to be developed, on the job, by Steven Paine and senior electrical technician, David Green.
Long hours and constant travel added to the pressure on team members, who nevertheless were delighted with the knowledge gained and the honing of their skills.
"We were contracted to carry out the modifications and repairs to enable every crane to meet design registration," Steven explained. "Most of our work involved the 12 cranes used in the Derwent hydro scheme and in most cases the electrical control equipment of each crane had to be totally replaced or upgraded. In several cases, the cranes were stripped of all electrics and fitted with redesigned controls from the main isolator right through."
The head of maintenance services for Konecranes in Tasmania, Aaron White, said the $A2 million-plus contract was completed cost efficiently - "We worked to a timeline and managed this project with customised reporting spreadsheets developed in association with Hydro Tasmania. These spreadsheets were pivotal in the success of the project."
"To maintain full transparency and accuracy in accounting, Jack Bartimote, the Principal Consultant for LMA Partnership Pty Ltd , acted as client representative throughout the process, overseeing every job and directing any additional work necessary to achieve registration."
On the completion of the project, LMA Partnership Pty Ltd issued seldom-awarded Certificates of Excellence to Steven Paine, for project management; David Green, for electrical design and outstanding workmanship; Keith Beswick, for outstanding workmanship; and Rodney Abblitt, for dedication to quality and physical effort.
The Managing Director of Konecranes in Australia and Chief Executive for the wider Southeast Asia Pacific, Mr. Edward Yakos, praised every member of the Tasmanian team.
"The excellence of their work led to the signing of a three-year service maintenance agreement for the region including additional work within Hydro Tasmania's Gordon and Derwent systems," he said.
"This is further proof that because the Konecranes group services more than 230,000 cranes worldwide, it has a unique understanding of how to repair and maintain lifting equipment of all makes and models regardless of age."
"Konecranes knows how to help customers avoid problems and maintain world class uptime and efficiencies through the expert management of cranes and, by being able to back up local stocks of spare parts through Konecranes‚ international resource network, downtime minimisation is guaranteed. Even hard-to-get components can be on-site anywhere in Australia within days."
The company now has more than 130 specialists in crane commissioning and maintenance at 24 locations throughout Australia and New Zealand. Almost every working day, a new Konecranes machine is commissioned at an Australasian mining, aviation, transport or production facility.
Konecranes‚ clients include a who's who in Australasian and South Asian industry giants, including the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology organisation, ANSTO; Air New Zealand; Australian Cement; Cadia Mining Australia; many coal mines in Queensland‚s Bowen Basin; Contact Energy NZ; Eagle Services Asia Pte Ltd ( ESA ), a joint venture between Pratt and Whitney and SIA Engineering Company; Lihir Gold, Papua New Guinea; OneSteel Australia; Patrick Corporation container terminals; Pilkington; Ratchaburi Power Station in Thailand; paper packaging group Thaikraft; Southern Hydro ( Victoria ), and Uncle Tobys.
Worldwide, Konecranes has representatives in more than 40 countries and records sales of more than A$1-billion a year. Its products range from small jibs to powerful beam cranes able to lift more than 180 tonnes.
In Australia, an estimated 70 percent of all crane maintenance is still carried out by in-house staff. "Crane owners increasingly are realising that outsourcing of crane maintenance to professionals improves cost-efficiency, safety and uptime," Mr. Yakos says. "This growing demand is why Konecranes KCI will continue to expand in the coming decades. This will include major new crane fabrication and we have ensured that we can handle any project by equipping ourselves with the best production facilities and engineering expertise."
For more information about Konecranes, please visit:
https://edir.bulk-online.com/oldedirredirect/204036.htm
https://edir.bulk-online.com/profile...cranes-vlc.htm
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