Condra supports mill recover lost production

A millhouse has turned to Condra for an overhead crane after a competitor’s machine failed inspection and load testing 

The order for the replacement was placed by Natal Cranes, authorised Condra distributor in KwaZulu-Natal. In the same millhouse, Natal Cranes has been servicing a 10-ton Condra maintenance crane – which is still working reliably since its installation in 1987 – on the same gantry as the rival crane now needing replacement.

Condra received the order on 6 June and is committed to a delivery date of six weeks from drawing approval. After installation and commissioning, the failed crane will be scrapped.

The new crane will be a physically large machine of double-girder electric overhead design, spanning 21 m and equipped with two hoists: a 35-ton main unit and five ton auxiliary, both mounted on the same crab and delivering lifting heights of 15 and 16 m respectively.

Maximum long travel speed will be 31 m per minute, with 15,4 m/min on the cross travel. Control will be by mobile pendant.

The crane will feature a full-length walkway, dual-speed controls on all functions, binder brakes, stainless steel panels and IP65 dust and waterproofing for the motors.  

Commenting on the order, Marc Kleiner, managing director of crane manufacturer Condra, said the mill’s need to replace a failed machine was a good illustration of lost production and additional expenditure being the direct result of a buying process where price exerted undue influence.

“The old adage that the proof of the pudding is in the eating is relevant even in the market for overhead cranes,” he quipped. “Condra’s product quite simply has more depth and durability. Our sales pitch might sometimes not be as polished as our rivals, but the mettle of our products is well proven, witness Condra’s 10-tonner on the same gantry as the failed crane, and still working even though it was installed almost 40 years ago, years before the failed machine.”

A complete range of spare parts remains readily available, he added, before explaining that Condra’s tender price could in many cases not be the lowest, because the product represented a first-rate, top-quality offering.

“But the longevity of our installations around the world justifies the investment made in them. These are robust, reliable cranes,” he remarked.