The crane will be used for tapping hot metal from the electrolytic cells, beam raising, floor slab removal and pot shell removal and replacement. The crane is engineered for continuous use in extreme temperatures and in an electrically charged environment with high levels of magnetic flux. Street have been working with Aluminium Bahrain since 1992 and now have 10 cranes installed on site.
As the crane is required to operate 24 hours a day and has a high proportion of heavy lifts, all lift and travel mechanisms are M8 heavy-duty rated.
For safety, crane travel is regulated by Street Crane’s X-Y Zero load swing prevention system. Street said this “optimises crane movement for maximum productivity without load swing.”
It is a selling point that radio remote operation avoids the restrictions of pendant control and allows the user to position themselves for greatest safety and best visibility. In addition to the main brake on the gearbox first reduction shaft, an additional safety disk brake is fitted to the main crane barrel of the hoist.
The crane uses Street’s VX hoists. The VX twin scrolling open barrel design ensures the hook follows a vertical path. The open plan design also gives what Street called “very good access for easy maintenance.”
Motors and controls have been selected to withstand exposure to high temperature and humidity. Insulation provided at the hook, on the crab frame and between the crab frame and the crane bridge, enables the crane to work safely in a highly charged environment.
Information about the end user:
Aluminium Bahrain is one of the world’s largest producers of aluminium. The ISO9000 and ISO14001 certified plant produces 830,000t per annum of 99.9% pure aluminium as ingots, billets and rolling slabs for the world market. Expansion has proceeded in phases since the plant first opened in 1971 – the latest phase being the development of line five at a cost of $1.7billion. Over 2,900 people work at the plant, which is a major export earner and contributor to the Bahrain economy. Street Crane’s equipment has been in use on the site for over 10 years, and is said to be “reliable and efficient – even under heavy use in extreme conditions.”
