1,400 TONNES OF SOYA UNLOADED IN JUST ONE HOUR On a barge anchored in the middle of the roaring waters of the Amazon River, a crane manufactured by Belgium’s E-Crane is hard at work loading and unloading grain and soya beans. Motors manufactured by Hoyer ensure that the crane is able to handle the heavy loads and fast pace. All around the world — from the bitter cold of the Polar Circle, to the stifling heat of the Amazon River — hydraulic cranes manufactured by E-Crane are at work to handle scrap iron, move grain, unload coal or dig up mud from the ocean floor. Such work often involves heavy loads and demanding, aroundthe-clock conditions. Since 2012, E-Crane has relied on Hoyer as a regular supplier of electric motors. SOYA FROM BARGE TO SHIP Hoyer recently delivered a powerful and custom-manufactured 630kW motor for use in a barge-mounted crane, which E-Crane delivered to a client in Brazil. From its position in the middle of the Amazon River, the crane will move grain and soya beans from broad river barges into Panamax sized ships. “This crane is the largest barge-to-ship transfer application we at E-Crane have produced to date. The crane is mounted on a 61-metre-long and 22-metre-broad barge which takes the beans directly from material barges and transfers them to the cargo holds of Panamax ships that can pass through the Panama Canal. With its 30m3 clamshell bucket, the crane is capable of moving up to 22.5 tonnes in a single work cycle. At full capacity, it can move 1,400 tonnes of soya beans per hour. “This means our client can reduce the loading time of the ocean going vessel and as a result reduce the cost associated with this loading operation,” said
INFORMATION ABOUT THE E-CRANE Location: Application: Installation site: Reach: Power source:
Itacoatiara, AM, Brazil midstream transfer in the Amazon River barge 38.2 metres 630kW/845hp electric Hoyer motor
Gauthier Vermeyen, Operations Manager of E-Crane Worldwide. A NEED FOR CLOSE COLLABORATION E-Crane uses motors from Hoyer for the entire crane system, which comprises the main motor and smaller applications such as oil pumps and automatic lubricating systems. For E-Crane, it was essential to select a supplier that could document the necessary level of quality and dedication in order to minimize the need for service and the risk of breakdown. A close collaboration between Hoyer and E-Crane, meanwhile, has ensured a high degree of flexibility and rapid communication. “We chose Hoyer as a supplier because they meet our expectations in terms of service, quality and price. Our longterm relationship will only grow stronger over time, and we’ve found that we can get quick and correct responses to our queries,” says Vermeyen.
ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT
Record tonnage of soya unloaded from a barge using a Hoyer-powered E-Crane
ABOUT E-CRANE E-Crane has been manufacturing cranes for more than 25 years. The company is based in Adegem, Belgium with subsidiaries in Holland, Indonesia, and the US and supplies cranes for bulk cargo, scrap metal and dredging.
JULY 2016
DCi 81