Heavyweights on the move

Stahlbau Schauenberg GmbH has been manu­facturing industrial equipment for refineries, chemical plants and power stations all over the world in Kirchzarten, southern Baden, since 1958. Following modernisation by crane builder Innokran, two new 10 t crane systems with SH 50 wire rope hoists from STAHL CraneSystems now transport the steel sheets and tubes required for this effectively and safely.

Whether in the plastics, food, pharmaceutical or automotive industries – hardly any branch can dispense with the raw materials produced by the chemical industry. Huge refineries, cracking furnaces and air separation plants are used to produce various gases and elements. The amount of steel needed every year by the employees at the 6 locations of Stahlbau Schauenberg GmbH worldwide to build the constructions for these industrial plants ranges from 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes. In some cases, up to 7,500 tons of metal are used to manufacture individual process or refinery furnaces: a lot of material that has to be delivered, stored, moved and, above all, passed on to production.

The headquarters, engineering, production and assembly facilities of the family-owned company are located in Kirchzarten in southern Baden, just 10 kilometres or so east of Freiburg. Here the numerous sheets and tubes for assembly and processing in the factory are stored outside. The plant is busy: new material is delivered almost every hour. The employee responsible for handling the steel sheets has his hands full. Crane systems with hoists from STAHL CraneSystems have been used for handling the steel in Kirchzarten since 2009: back then Innokran GmbH – a long-standing certified partner of STAHL CraneSystems – installed systems in the plant and equipped them with technology from STAHL CraneSystems. “Our customer is very satisfied with the systems and hoists, which is why we were also contracted in 2018 to modernise the outdoor crane system,” explains Klaus Fetzer from Innokran.

The previous crane system in the storage area stemmed from the 1970s and, with a lifting capacity of 6 tonnes, was no longer able to cope with the increase in the amount and weight of material handled. In addition, the hook height of the crane systems was no longer sufficient, so it became necessary to increase the lifting capacity and replace the hoists. The modernisation of the complete system was carried out in close cooperation between Innokran and Stahlbau Schauenberg GmbH. “As a specialist in steel construction, Schauenberg itself carried out the necessary modification of the crane runways to the required higher safe working load. Innokran then installed the cranes, hoists and technology,” says Klaus Fetzer.

The new crane system consists of two double girder overhead travelling cranes with a span of 20 metres and a lifting capacity of 10 tonnes each. The crane bridge girders were jacked up by 500 mm to reach a hook height of 7.5 metres. On the cranes, two SH 50 wire rope hoists from STAHL CraneSystems with their standard compact design enable optimum utilisation of space thanks to small approach and headroom dimensions. The system is operated comfortably via radio remote control. The hoists from Künzelsau are optimally equipped for continuous outdoor use: the motors and controls are heated by standstill heaters to ensure smooth operation at temperatures as low as -20°C. The rain protection roofs installed above all electrical components provide additional protection against the elements.

Klaus Fetzer names further features of the new system: “In the future, we want to save valuable handling time by using magnetic lifting beams to fasten the sheets instead of fastening them manually with the help of chains. Innokran has therefore prepared the system with cable reeling drums and lockable load hooks for installation of a magnetic system.” With a lifting speed of 1.3/8.0 m/min, a cross travel speed of 5/20 m/min and a long travel speed of 10/40 m/min, rapid movement of the material is already possible today. Another notable aspect of the new system is, according to Klaus Fetzer, its statics: “In order to reduce the lateral forces acting on a crane runway axis, we have equipped the endcarriages of the cranes with horizontal guide rollers and flangeless wheels. In this way, travel resistance and wear can also be minimised.”

The system in Kirchzarten has been in continuous operation since mid-2018 and performs good service for Stahlbau Schauenberg GmbH with low-maintenance technology.