Street crane for paper manufacturer Voith

The new kit comes from overhead crane specialist Street Crane Company which has a long association with Voith, having supplied an 80 tonne overhead travelling crane back in 1997. The new crane will be used for loading and offloading vehicles and positioning rollers onto a CNC controlled Waldrich Siegen roll grinder and up-rated IRD balancing machine. This requires precision movement and so an auxiliary ten tonne hoist is provided to permit rotation and final manoeuvring of the load. Major structural elements of the crane include twin box-beam girders for rigidity with eight-wheel carriages to spread the load. Hoisting is achieved via a heavy duty crab unit based on a twin scrolling open barrel hoist design that ensures the hook follows a true vertical lifting path. Programmable microprocessor controllers, along with digital frequency inverters on the motor drives, provide smooth acceleration and deceleration for safe transport of the load with no load swing. The crane features a range of safety systems including audible alarm, flashing amber light and an anti-collision system. The brake operates on the first reduction shaft in the gearbox so that the load is held securely even in the event of a motor failure. A wire free radio remote control allows the operator to adopt the best position for safety and visibility. A conventional pendant control is also provided as a back up. Street Crane won the order against competition from other crane makers. Commenting on the installation Steve Walls, Voith Paper's works manager noted, "The 80 tonne crane installed by Street in 1997 and serviced by their sister company SCX has given us no trouble whatsoever. The relationship has always been good and we are happy to be working with them once again on this major development for our Manchester business." Street Crane's engineering and production is based at its Chapel-en-le-Frith factory on the Derbyshire/Cheshire border.