ABUS EOT cranes link lorry to boat

The logistics company Hegmann (www.hegmann-transit.com) has been using ABUS EOT cranes for well over a year now. Read more of the report. These double girder EOT cranes serve to transport loads of up to 150 tonnes within the logistics building; they also load and unload lorries. At first the cranes used to work predominantly inside the multipurpose logistics warehouse. However, now that the crane track has been extended to the nearby Rhine-Lippe port it is also possible to directly load and unload barges and coasters.

The self-supporting steel structure suspended from a pylon can be seen from far and wide. The crane track, 90 metres long, exits the middle bay of the building and extends into the open air above the port basin. This crane track extension makes it possible for the logistics company to transport heavy goods from the building and load them into a ship or do it the other way round: unload goods from the boats and store them inside the warehouse. When the crane transitions between indoors and outdoors it passes through an automatically operated crane flap. A travel limit switch will stop the crane travelling in either direction in front of the crane flap if the crane flap is closed. The crane flap, however, can only be closed if the crane is not in the area of the crane flap. For this purpose the crane track features cross-type limit switches that register the position of the crane within the crane flap area. The crane flap passage support is assisted by the so-called gate passage control system. This control ensures that the crane only enters the area of the partition in the logistics building or the area of the crane flap when the trolley is positioned above the gate area of the dividing wall.

The cranes have been fitted with rain hoods in order to protect the crane travel motors, the panels, and the wire rope hoists form the elements when working outside. An ABUS air speed control system makes sure that the crane operator is warned via a clearly visible warning light if the wind should strengthen. If the wind strengthens the crane has to be made secure immediately or has to travel back into the building. A special paint system is protecting the crane from corrosion when working outside part time.

Since the outside crane track has been commissioned at the beginning of 2018 about 115 boats with maximum lengths of 135 metres as well as barge trains have been serviced. A continual transport chain has now been established thanks to the ABUS EOT cranes: straight from boat to lorry and from lorry to boat.