The problem: excavators doing a crane's job
The yard received sand and crushed stone by barge. Material had to be unloaded, stockpiled by grade, and then fed into the crusher. The customer used excavators for all three steps.
Excavators are flexible but expensive to run: fuel, maintenance, tyres and operators, plus dust and spillage at every transfer. The yard also wanted to reduce the number of machines moving around the stockpiles.
What we specified
A 10 t double girder gantry with a 1.5 m³ clamshell grab, 18 m span, running on ground rails. The grab open/close is interlocked with long travel so one operator can unload, travel and discharge without changing controls.
Because the crane works outdoors in a coastal climate, the structure is hot-dip galvanized and finished with an epoxy zinc-rich topcoat rather than standard workshop paint. Motors and panels are IP55 or better, with rain covers over the hoist and trolley.
Wind securing was part of the package: rail clamps for parking, with the design wind pressure stated in the offer.
What was delivered
- 1 × 10 t double girder gantry crane, 18 m span
- 1.5 m³ clamshell grab, matched to the material bulk density
- Radio remote control with grab interlock
- Rail foundation drawing and wheel load data
- Container loading plan, with spare parts packed in the same container
Installation without a site visit
This was the customer's first Chinese crane purchase, and they chose to install it themselves. We ran video sessions during erection: rail alignment, leg plumb, bridge placement, festoon and panel connection, then no-load and load tests.
Packing the spare parts and the main machine in one container meant the customer could start assembly as soon as the container was opened, without waiting for a second shipment.
Result
One operator with one remote now unloads, stockpiles and feeds the crusher. The excavators have been released for other work, and the material path is fixed instead of being re-planned for every stockpile.
Contract to shipment: 35 days.