World famous Italian yacht manufacturer, The Italian Sea Group has said a fond farewell to its 46m-high gantry crane in Marina Di Carrara, calling on the services of crane service provider Vernazza Autogru, Demag and Tadano, to remove the structure to make way for the future development of the shipyard.
Disassembling the 1050 ton gantry crane was made possible thanks to CC 6800 and CC 3800-1 Demag lattice boom crawler cranes.
“We know from experience that Demag and Tadano machines are characterized by high reliability, enormous lifting capacities, and outstanding performance – there’s a reason why our fleet is mostly made up of cranes from this manufacturer,” said Simone Barattini, technical director, Vernazza Autogru.
“We first had to level the manoeuvring areas for the two cranes and make sure they would be able to safely bear the corresponding loads,” job manager Giulio Zunino said. This meant an area of approx. 34 by 16 meters had to be set up for the CC 6800, while the one for the CC 3800 1 measured 105 by 18 meters – and in the dry dock to boot, which meant the CC 3800 1 ended up nine meters below the gantry crane’s rails when working. “Readying an area this big on which the crane could travel was absolutely necessary, as the 105-meter-long main girder had to be set down on the dry dock for the last bit of disassembly work, so the CC 3800 1 had to be able to travel there with the load on its hook,” Barattini explains.
“We used two different sets of slinging gear for the tandem lift. Both of them were custom-made for the job and positioned across the underside of the gantry crane’s main girder,” added Zunino. For the CC 3800 1, this meant a single spreader bar that was rigged to the crane with two shackles featuring a load limit of 300 tons each and a pair of endless wire rope slings, each with a length of 32 meters and a rated capacity of 218 tons, arranged in each shackle. Meanwhile, for the CC 6800, the assembly consisted of a double spreader bar that was rigged with four shackles featuring a load limit of 300 tons each and a total of eight endless wire rope slings with a length of 8 meters and a rated capacity of 262 tons each.
The slings were rigged in pairs to shackles with a load limit of 250 tons.
“This meant that our CC cranes were perfectly prepared to lift the gantry crane, which enabled the technicians to disassemble it piece by piece from the bottom up with the help of demolition-type cutting torches,” said Zunino.
“Once a chunk was removed from the gantry crane on both the left and right sides, the two cranes would set the remaining gantry crane down on the ground.” During the lift, the maximum load handled by the CC 6800 was 730 tons at a radius of 16 meters, while the CC 3800 1 handled a maximum of 320 tons at a radius of 18 meters. The meticulous planning used by the Vernazza engineering team for the job, coupled with close coordination with the customer’s technicians, made it possible for the project to be completed as planned and scheduled.
“Needless to say, we also have our own highly qualified employees to thank for that, as they completed the lift with impeccable professionalism,” said Zunino, of his 12-people team at the site: one crane operator and signalperson per main crane, a job manager, a technical manager, and six operators for the assist cranes. All in all, their assignment at the shipyard lasted around six weeks – two for setting up the cranes, two for carrying out the work, and another two for tearing down the cranes.
In other news, Cimolai Technology of Carmignano di Brenta, Italy and New York-based US hoists Corp., have announced a strategic partnership aimed at the US marina, shipyard, shipbuilding, pre-cast construction and material-handling industries.
Cimolai Technology, a global manufacturer in the design and supply of specialized lifting equipment will rely on US Hoists to drive sales of their products throughout the Northeast, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and Mid-Western regions of the United States, while working simultaneously with Cimolai Technology’s already established Florida-based branch as well as Cimolai Technology’s active contact point in Florida.
US Hoists’ team of specialized technicians will also team up with Cimolai Technology’s after-sales division to offer reliable, US-based parts and service on all Cimolai machines currently installed in the United States and Canada.
High-quality, innovative products and tailor-made solutions are paramount as both companies work together to expand and collectively grow operations in the United States, with experienced sales and technical teams, as well as after-sales maintenance programs.
Further afield, Alevro has launched a new website following its heavy lift and joint-venture partnership between Fagioli in Italy and Monadelphous in Australia.
International heavy transport and lifting specialist Fagioli and the heavy lift business of engineering construction group Monadelphous are working together as Alevro. Between them the two companies have more than 100 years of experience. The joint-venture agreement signed in May, unlocks increased capability and capacity to deliver significant resources projects in Australia, the company said.
“The proven construction track-record of Monadelphous, combines with Fagioli’s world-class experience in engineering complex global heavy lifting projects to create a unique value proposition to the Australian resources market,” a spokesman said. “Integrating skills in transport, shipping, lifting and installation with the development of modularisation and other techniques is to allow faster construction, fewer project labour hours on site and better risk management.”
The partnership is led and managed by Rod Stribley who has long history in the heavy lifting sector leading business development, negotiations, operations, safety, and strategic business direction.
Perth-based Monadelphous provides construction, maintenance and industrial services, primarily in mining, energy and infrastructure. In addition to Australia the 50-year-old company operates in Chile, China, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia and the Philippines.
Carcano offers a complete range of lifting systems and accessories for cables, chains and lifting slings and recently became a member of LEEA (the UK Lifting Equipment Engineers’ Association). The company strives to revise and improve its products to evolve with the industry and has increased the load capacity of its rotating eyebolt with clamp 806X, now 806X H.T.
“The creation of new products is certainly a priority but there’s no forgetting those already in the catalogue: these also undergo tests, checks and modifications to improve their performance in various ways. That’s the only way we can ensure that what we offer is the best in the market,” a spokesman said.
This time it was the turn of the rotating eyebolt with clamp Cartec 806X to undergo the revision process. It now becomes 806X H.T., a grade 100 product, whose load capacities have been improved providing even greater safety and enhanced opportunities for use. Practically perfect for applications at every temperature (from -40°C to 400°C), this rotating eyebolt can swivel on a base of 350° and allows directions of tension to 120°.
As standard the product comes with instructions on how to make the best use of its features, how to optimise the distribution of loads and how to operate in total safety, using it correctly with the various lifting system components. These instructions can also be reviewed via a QR code placed on all labels and via the Carcano catalogue download application.
Lastly, the Carcano Safety School programme was developed to give lifting system users all the information they need to use their products in total safety and be fully aware of their actions.
In 2021, crane and lifting specialist, Donati Sollevamenti was recognized in the 100 Eccellenze Italiane (100 Italian Excellence Awards) in the ‘Lifting loads and internal movement’ category, 2021, organised by the Liber Association. The purpose of the award is to identify 100 companies or individuals which contribute to the growth of Italy.
The gala evening, held in Rome was attended by Donati’s managing director Ing Valerio Del Curto, who took the opportunity to thank all those who collaborated in this success.
Since then, the company continues to expand its product range embracing digitlization and has launched the GRL jib crane. A light and versatile jib crane, capable of 360° continuous rotation, with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg and an outreach up to 7 metres. It is already prepared for conversion from manual to electric rotation, through an adaptation kit available on request.
Paola Casarotto, marketing manager, Donati Cranes, said the jib GRL provides a 360° load handling service: perfect for indoor or outdoor applications, loading lorries, serving machines or assembling equipment.
“Our different solutions and the reliability of our products such as our electric chain hoists, manual and electric jib cranes, electric wire rope hoists, channel profile system bridge cranes, find their applications in all types of industries thanks to their versatility,” she said.
“Finally, Donati stands out for its continuous attention to quality and safety, for its responsible choices and constant checks on materials. We are proud of the certifications assigned to us over the years: besides ISO 9001 for quality and ISO 14001 for environment, Donati has been applying an organizational model based on the requirements of national law 231/2001 on safety and compliance since 2009. Regarding the welding processes, Donati has been assigned the ISO 38342 certification. In terms of logistics, the company is about to get the AEO status (Authorized Economic Operator) to obtain the right of direct customs clearance within its hub, with considerable advantages for non-European customers.”
ELECTROELSA PARTNERS WITH DIRECT HOIST
Italian mastclimber and hoist manufacturer Electroelsa has appointed Direct Hoist Sales as its distributor for the UK and Northern Ireland.
Direct Hoist Sales, owned by Robert Wilson, is based in Kirton in Lindsey, south of Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire, it currently sells and rents Geda hoists, transports platforms and inclined builders hoists.
The agreement was finalised in May with managing director Rob Wilson, operations manager Josh Wilson and Steve Stopher of West End Leasing also acting as head of sales and finance for direct Hoists, travelling to Italy to confirm the partnership with the Electroelsa management team headed by chief executive Giorgio Taliani.
Speaking of its new partnership, the company said: “We are very excited for this new adventure and are really confident that our partnership will provide the customers with an outstanding quality and exceptional customer service, by offering an expanded and multi-purpose product's range and local stock for quicker deliveries.”
“This is the start of a fantastic new venture for us here at Direct Hoist as well as for Electroelsa; we cannot wait to continue building the relationship between our two companies, with our customers and as always provide great service and machines across the UK and now Northern Ireland.”
