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When industrial supplier Bianco moved to a new greenfields site in South Australia, it chose industrial cranes from Konecranes for the versatile heavy lifting that would be required in the structural steel division of the plant.

“We were coming from a much smaller shop with just one overhead crane, plus the use of high forklifts. So we had to completely rethink our lifting needs,” said general manager operations Nick Monda.

The new $17 million 19,000 m2 steel fabrication plant is part of a 16-hectare site being developed by Bianco at Gepps Cross in Adelaide. The most modern in the state – and arguably in the entire country – the fabrication facility replaces a 2000 m2 steel plant at Newton.

“We had the luxury of a new site, so could shop around for exactly what we needed. We looked at price, performance and back-up service – the complete package,” Mr Monda said.

“Coming from an operation that used mostly forklifts, we had to combat that way of thinking and develop a new mindset around the concept of cranes.

“We investigated all the options and decided that Konecranes was the supplier to go with, on the basis of their professionalism, prices and what the equipment could do for us.”

As befitting a highly automated fabrication facility, the Konecranes appliances all have DynADrive inverter drive controllers. These apply the same principles used in the fly-by-wire technology of modern aircraft by using computers to optimise control of the crane and even automate its operation.

The double girder crane, which has Truninger lifting magnets fitted, also boasts Konecranes’ patented DynAPilot anti-sway system that virtually eliminates load sway or swing.

“As well as helping the operator land the load in the right place, the sway control is a very good safety device that halts the load without it swinging. Uncontrolled, it would be an occupational safety hazard. Someone could walk into the path of the swaying steel and get hit,” Mr Monda said.

Konecranes Australian Training Manager Brad Leckie says the control obtained is so good that operators were challenged (under controlled safety testing) to get the crane hook to swing. “So far, they have been unsuccessful. Given the skill levels of the people at Bianco, this is a great compliment to the technology,” he said.

Training on the new cranes was straightforward, says Mr Monda –“Konecranes came on-site for a couple of days. Our operators were all from the old factory, but they quickly learned how to use the cranes.