Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg JSC has put into operation new portal crane Vityaz that costs more than 3.5 million euros, as part of its technical upgrading programme. During its first shift the crane handled more than 300 tonnes of aluminum.
Specifically, the cranes’ maximum lifting capacity of the crane is 40 tonnes with a boom reach of up to 32 meters.
Vityaz cranes are next-gen handling equipment intended for handling all types of cargo in grab, hook, magnet, spreader modes.
In addition, replacement of load handling devices does not take longer than 30 minutes.
Vitaly Zavolovsky, Chief Mechanic of SP SPb reported that
The crane will operate on Berths No 5-7, in the First District of Big Port St. Petersburg. With the new equipment we are going to enhance labor efficiency and speed up cargo handling process.
The Vityaz crane consists of a regenerative breaking system that is able to convert the energy of the electric hoisting mechanism to redirect it to other mechanisms or return the excess energy to the electrical grid. Consequently, that saves up to 20-30% of the crane’s rated power.
To ensure safe loading,unloading operations the crane is equipped with a current data control and logging devices. The crane’s diagnostic system provides for an on-line control of the technical state during the operation process.
The safety is also ensured by crash sensors fixed to carriers and preventing possible collision with other cranes operating on the same rail-track. The crane is covered with fire-resistant materials.
Crane operator, Andrey Danilov, who was the first to test the new crane commented that
I used to operate almost all cranes in the port but still felt a little nervous before starting the unloading. Mastering the Vityaz was a very interesting process due to its state-of-the-art equipment.
Finally, during the first half of 2019, SP SPb is going to put into operation one more Vityaz crane with similar technical characteristics.
