For the manufacturing industry, if you want to increase production capacity, adding cranes or using new cranes are inevitable options. As a global crane service expert, Dongqi Crane is committed to providing customers with the most cost-effective crane solutions. In this article, Dongqi Crane will share a case of a custom-made casting crane at the Oslo Iron Foundry in Sweden. Faced with demands for increased production, the foundry commissioned the country's crane supplier to deliver a new process crane with integrated weighing and position measurement systems. By learning the application of cranes in different industries, Dongqi Crane will be more confident in providing customers with multi-purpose crane solutions.

Crane working in foundry

The charging crane collects the scrap or replenishment charge and transports it to the induction melting furnace for melting for subsequent casting.

Scrap is sorted into nine boxes. Crane crews at the control station receive pick orders for material in quantities to be removed from each individual bin and operate the crane to move large quantities of scrap material. The plan specifies the amount of scrap steel to be smelted to produce ore. The specified recipe provides the casting material with the precise properties required by the foundry.

Calibrated crane scales in open capstan crabs determine the weight of collected material.

Based on the weight, the system determines how much more material is needed, transmits this via radio to the cab and displays it to the operator.

Once the desired final recipe is achieved, the mixture is dumped onto a pile of waste materials and from there it is conveyed to the smelting furnace.

The accuracy of weight measurement is important. It affects the overall cost of the process, as a less precise mixture will require more expensive alloys.

To achieve both speed and predictability, the foundry decided to install a 4.8 ton twin-girder overhead crane.

The twin-girder crane has a span of 22.65m and is equipped with a multi-purpose open winch that can travel along a 40m crane runway.

To pick up the load, the crane has a round magnet connected to the hoist via a 4/2 winding device.

The crane has long-travel speeds of 80m per minute, cross-travel speeds of 60m per minute and load-dependent lifting speeds of up to 66m per minute, allowing operators to achieve high loading and unloading rates.

The frequency converter allows for infinitely variable movement in three axes, contributing to safe operation.

In the cab, the crane supplier provides a control panel. Cameras mounted on the crabs and cranes allow a control station to monitor the entire process.

With the previous crane, employees worked 24 hours a day in the scrap yard and melt shop, but the new crane can handle the same weight of scrap in less than two shifts.

The new crane is faster, handles waste faster and increases production capacity fivefold.

Installing the new crane made a huge difference in cycle times.

“Where the old crane would take up to 60 minutes for an operating cycle, the new crane can do the job in just 12 minutes.”

This allows the crane to operate in two shifts, five days a week. The crane supplier designed the loading crane to meet future requirements for further increases in production capacity.

What is a casting crane

Foundry crane, also known as metallurgical crane, is a special lifting equipment mainly used for lifting molten metal. It is suitable for metal smelting workshops and complies with relevant industry standards. This kind of crane works by longitudinal movement in the direction of the workshop track, lateral movement of the trolley and lifting movement of the hook.

Casting cranes are mainly composed of bridges, trolleys and lifting machinery. The bridge is the basic structure of the crane, carries the weight of the entire crane, and spans the casting shop. The trolley is the operating device of the crane on the bridge and can move forward and backward along the bridge body. The hoisting machinery is the lifting control equipment of the crane, including crane hooks, grab buckets, clamping claws, etc., used for hoisting and transporting castings.

When working, the casting crane uses an electric motor to drive the lifting machinery to hoist and transport castings. The electric motor drives the movement of the lifting machinery through transmission devices such as gears and chains, and the operator can control the operation and stop of the crane through the joystick or buttons.

Casting cranes have the characteristics of large lifting capacity, high operating efficiency, easy operation, and wide application range. Therefore, they are widely used in the construction and production processes of metallurgy, electric power, chemical industry, bridges and other industries. It can not only complete the lifting and transportation of heavy objects quickly and accurately, improve production efficiency and reduce labor costs, but also ensure the safety during the lifting and transportation of heavy objects and reduce the occurrence of accidents.

Dongqi Crane can provide customers with casting cranes

As a professional lifting equipment manufacturer, Dongqi Crane is able to provide customers with high-quality casting cranes. The following is a brief overview of Dongqi Crane’s role in providing foundry cranes to customers:

• Customized solutions: Dongqi Crane can deeply understand the specific needs of customers, including the size of the foundry, operating environment, process requirements, etc., so as to tailor-made casting cranes for customers. Whether it is the size of the crane, lifting capacity, operating speed, or control system and safety protection measures, Dongqi Crane can design and manufacture according to the actual needs of customers.
• Efficient and stable performance: Dongqi Crane focuses on optimizing the performance of casting cranes. Through advanced design concepts, high-quality materials and exquisite manufacturing processes, it ensures that the cranes have efficient and stable performance during operation. This performance is not only reflected in the crane's heavy-load capacity and operating efficiency, but also in its reliability and durability, which can meet customers' long-term, high-intensity operating needs.
• Safety and reliability: Safety is the primary consideration in the design of casting cranes. Dongqi Crane is well aware of the importance of safety, so it always follows strict safety standards and specifications during the design, manufacturing and installation of cranes. At the same time, Dongqi Crane also provides customers with comprehensive safety training and technical support to ensure that customers can operate casting cranes safely and efficiently.
• Perfect after-sales service: Dongqi Crane focuses on long-term cooperation with customers, so it provides comprehensive after-sales service. This includes crane installation, commissioning, training, repair and maintenance, etc. Once customers encounter any problems during use, Dongqi Crane's professional after-sales service team can respond promptly and provide customers with effective solutions.

To sum up, Dongqi Crane can provide customers with high-quality, customized, efficient and stable casting cranes, and protect the long-term interests of customers through complete after-sales services. Whether it is a new foundry or the renovation and upgrading of an old factory, Dongqi Crane can provide customers with professional lifting equipment solutions.

New crane is faster, handles waste faster and increases production capacity fivefold