Processing of steel is a tough assignment for lifting equipment.
Not only does the hoisting technology have to cope with high volumes of heavy and unevenly shaped product in often challenging environments, but also it has to function at high levels of reliability and safety 24/7.

See Hup Seng – a leading provider of corrosion prevention services in Singapore – has employed the technology and maintenances services of the global Konecranes group to sharpen its competitive edge over more than a decade. It has moved recently to further extend its materials handling advantage by investing in advanced technology backed by local expertise.
The investment is a strategic initiative by the Singapore-based company, which is a major service provider to the marine, oil and gas, construction and infrastructure industries– industry groups where quality of services and finished product is essential to safety and reliability.

The group processes of more than 20,000 tons of steel plate and profile in a month  at its two Singapore facilities, where, since 1971, it has built up a strong niche in specialised tank coating services, large scale industrial plant operations,  and as a resident contractor for premier shipyards in one of the world’s busiest ports.

To ensure production quality, safety and reliability, the company has chosen to rely upon a materials handling system based on overhead cranes, rather than floor-based alternatives, says See Hup Seng General Manager Mr Edward Ho Tong Wong.

“We process 300-400 heavy plates a day, which is high by any standard. Our founder was very far sighted in depending from the outset on an overhead crane system, which saves a lot of space and increases throughput and efficiency. 

“With the crane system there is less effort and less damage to processes,” said Mr Edward Ho, whose plant’s lifting technology has to cope daily with large and irregularly shaped loads ranging from heavy plates up to 15 tons apiece, to H beams and I beams that must be handled safely and swiftly while being delivered to often tight production schedules.

To achieve uptime and reliability rates exceeding 95 per cent on its 19 cranes from 10-20 tonnes,  See Hup Seng has equipped its plants with some of the global Konecranes group’s most sophisticated lifting equipment for reliability, safety and space efficiency – all key factors in a highly competitive industry operating in a city where space is at a premium.

Most of the company’s electric overhead travelling cranes (EOTCs) are of the globally proven   XL type, which combine lightweight construction with heavyweight strength, power and durability.
Progressively and on the basis of its good experience with the XL types See Hup Seng is also introducing the latest Konecranes CXT hoists, including a 12.5 ton type, four 10-ton EOTC and one CXT monorail in the company’s second plant.   All feature stepless speed control of the long and cross travel motions, for smooth load handling.
Inverter control in crane and trolley travels facilitates easy and effective load control, with smooth starts and stops reducing wear and mechanical stress on structures and minimising load sway.

Fast and accurate load positioning is facilitated by the cranes’ True Lift technology, which means the hook moves horizontally only 5mm during a one-metre lift. Because of the CXT hoists’ large rope drum diameter and short drum length, horizontal travel of the hook during lowering is minimal.
=safety and operator convenience is provided by an ergonomic hook design, which makes rigging of the load safer – an important factor in high throughput operations such as See Hup Seng’s.
Konecranes Service Manager Maintenance Services, Mr Leonard Lim, says the payback of such advanced technology is improved productivity because moving and positioning the load is faster, easier and safer.
“Ongoing durability is also built into the design as a result of worldwide experience in similar environments. For example, the CXTs feature a rope- drum-to-rope-diameter ratio that is more than double conventional designs.”
Lifting ropes of CXT cranes have multiple lifetimes compared with conventional cranes.
The latest cranes also feature high performance hoisting motors with 60 per cent ED rating, which combine extra power with superior cooling characteristics. The hoisting motors also have the power and flexibility for temporary peak usage situations. This built-in durability means the client gets trouble-free operation even after years of intensive use,” said Mr Lim, who oversaw installation of the latest crane technology and is responsible for a preventative maintenance and safety programme that has extended over more than eight years.

The programme was recently renewed again because, says Mr Edward Ho, the security of having immediate service backup from the nearby Konecranes branch in Singapore is also as important as having superior lifting technology in the first place.

“It is very important to us also to know that there is world class expertise available to us when we pick up the phone – and it is applied by people who know our plant locally.
“Because the local Konecranes team inspects and programmes our equipment for ongoing reliability and safety compliance,  they know each crane very well -and they know us too and the way we do things. They understand what’s important to our processes so there is backup and no delay.

“They do not have to guess about maintenance issues, they have the diagnostic maintenance tools and the personal knowledge to go straight to the problem. And they fit in with us. That can save much downtime.
“If we didn’t have such reliability and safety as they give us, it would affect our paint schedule, our delivery schedule, everything. Their services are crucial to our operation.”
Konecranes is a world-leading provider of lifting and maintenance solutions, with a track record in pioneering, leading and shaping developments in the industry.