Goods handling in concrete sector: Belgian-Limburg concrete company invests in highly efficient gantry crane

Betonbedrijf Schelfhout nv has been a manufacturer of prefabricated walls and skirting boards in reinforced industrial concrete for over 45 years. Its customers belong mainly to the industrial, commercial and agricultural sectors. The company is part of the CRH group, which is a world leader in building materials and has over 70,000 employees spread over more than 3,000 sites in 28 countries. 

Schelfhout, from Kinrooi, Belgium-Limburg, recently invested in a new gantry crane, for which it knocked at the door of Constructiewerkhuizen Deman in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, West Flanders. Her overhead cranes and gantry cranes have become the standard at numerous concrete producers and concrete processing companies at home and abroad.

Intensive cooperation

The project started at the end of April 2021 with a first rudimentary sketch and a formulation of the main customer requirements. The aim was to significantly increase efficiency and production capacity at the Schelfhout site in Kinrooi. The Schelfhout and Deman teams worked together in a constructive and intensive manner. All this led to a particularly short lead time, with assembly starting as early as August 1, 2022. Barely 10 days later, the new gantry crane was already put into operation.

Remarkable speeds

The final choice was a single girder gantry crane with 2 hoists and a total lifting capacity of 20 tons (2 X 10 tons). The crane has a V-shaped box girder with a length of 40 m. The girder was built in one piece without bolted connections. The lifting speed at full load is 8.9 m/min and at partial loads up to 5,500 kg per hoist 12 m/min. The loads are lifted an average of 5 m high, allowing optimum use of the high speeds. Cat travel allows speeds from 5 to 32 m/min and crane travel from 10 to 50 m/min. The control boxes in stainless steel were mounted on a working platform next to the box girder, accessible via a lockable cage ladder.

Even more performant through additional 'Smart Features'

Although the R4111 gantry crane from Deman is already extremely high-performance in its basic configuration, the addition of a number of "Smart Features" was opted for here in order to provide even greater safety, efficiency and a faster Return On Investment. Thanks to the 'Shock Load Prevention', the hoist load is continuously monitored to ensure gentle lifting of a load. If a load is taken up abruptly, the hoisting speed is automatically reduced, preventing shock and premature wear.

'Extended Speed Range' allows higher speeds when the load is lighter than the maximum lifting capacity. This further increases efficiency by reducing cycles and inherent waiting times. Via "Load Floating," when the load is stopped, it is held in position without closing the motor brake. This ensures a fast, safe and smooth restart with better operator control. This also greatly reduces wear and tear on the brake mechanism. Also, the gantry crane can operate safely in wind speeds up to 6 Beaufort and is equipped with an anemometer for this purpose.

Geometric controls

In addition to correct dimensioning and high-quality surface treatment, it was equally important that the crane was geometrically perfectly within the standards. A series of precise geometric checks were therefore carried out during the production and assembly process.

The new Deman gantry crane already opens up great prospects for Schelhout in terms of faster and more efficient work, a shorter payback period for the investment and an attractive Total Cost of Ownership.