Major Auto Manufacturer Purchases Four Additional SMARTON® Cranes from Konecranes


Springfield, OH – Konecranes smarter where it matters crane is finding its niche in the automotive industry.



A major auto manufacturer has purchased four Konecranes SMARTON® process duty CMAA Class D cranes for a stamping plant expansion. Konecranes, a global leader in overhead crane technology, has over 80 years experience with heavy duty lifting applications, as well as the worlds largest crane service network. The cranes will be built at Konecranes manufacturing facility in Franklin, OH and delivered to the customer in the third quarter of 2015. The customer purchased four other SMARTON® cranes for other facilities in the United States over the last two years.



The new cranes will be used in two new stamping bays, each employing two SMARTON® cranes. The primary crane will be used to move dies between the die field and bolsters that load the dies into the stamping press. The second crane will move dies between the die field and the die maintenance area, where its 25-ton auxiliary hoist will be used to split the die and turn it over for maintenance. The second crane will also serve as a backup to the primary crane.



There is a bolster on each side of the stamping press, so when stamping is underway, a second set of dies can be ready to go when the cycle is completed, says Martin Casper, regional sales manager, Konecranes. The customers just-in-time procedures mandate that dies may need to be changed twice in each shift, so two identical SMARTON® cranes in each bay ensure that dies are changed and maintained on schedule, he continued.



Konecranes SMARTON® cranes are known for including an impressive list of smart technologies to improve both productivity and safety. Sway control and target positioning help move the cranes safely between tasks with a minimum of wasted time and operator effort, while microspeed and inching capabilities ensure smooth rigging transitions and safeguard the load.



A signature new safety feature for the SMARTON® crane is its Hook Centering technology, which uses a camera positioned underneath the trolley that focuses on a spot on the bottom block. If the operator tries to pick up a die without having the hook centered over the load, the bridge and trolley will move to position the hook over the center of gravity automatically. The system also includes an anti-snag feature. If the crane is being driven down the bay and its chains grab something unintentionally, the system stops the crane and positions itself over the load, where it waits until the operator re-starts the movement.



These latest-generation SMARTON® cranes can be equipped with TRUCONNECT® Remote Monitoring, which provides customers with remote visibility of crane usage via their computer or mobile device. It allows overhead crane maintenance to be planned according to actual usage information, and customers can gain insights into crane utilization for each application.



TRUCONNECT® Remote Monitoring with Alerts allows key safety data to be transmitted remotely soon after an event occurs, enabling managers to take prompt action as necessary, says Casper. Data is routed through the Konecranes Remote Data Center via a secured connection. This technology allows customers to stay aware of overloads, e-stops and hoist over-temperature occurrences via text or email.



Additional information:



Sales:

Martin Casper

Regional Sales Manager

martin.casper@konecranes.com 

419.779.1286



Press:

Todd Blair

Marketing and Communications Manager, Region Americas

todd.blair@konecranes.com 

937.525.5560



About Konecranes, Inc.



Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity-enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment and machine tools of all makes.



In 2013, Group sales totaled EUR 2.100 million. The Group has 11,800 employees at 600 locations in 48 countries. Konecranes is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (symbol: KCR1V).

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