With facilities in more than 20 countries, Ahlstrom is a high performance materials company that partners with well-known global businesses to provide products such as filters, wall covers, flooring, labels and food packaging.
A crane past its prime
The 40 year-old dry end crane at an Ahlstrom facility in Brazil was not designed to function in the dusty environment of a paper mill. Without dust-proof enclosures or air conditioning, the electrical controls and components deteriorated at an accelerated rate. The crane still used its original contactor controls, which did not have precise speed control options necessary for careful load positioning and ultimately caused premature wear to the gears, motor and brakes. As a result, the dry end crane broke down on a monthly basis.
Ahlstrom made plans to rebuild the crane, but quickly encountered a major obstacle: due to the age of the crane, many parts were obsolete and would need to be custom-made. The crane was critical to production and could not be out of service for an extended period of time.
New crane proves its worth
Konecranes successfully demonstrated the value of purchasing a new 20-ton capacity, three-trolley dry end crane. The sealed enclosures of the crane protected against water, humidity and dust. The new inverter technology placed less stress on internal components, minimized equipment wear and reduced load sway.
To minimize downtime, Konecranes technicians installed and commissioned the new crane before removing the old crane during scheduled downtime. This strategic installation allowed Ahlstrom to remain productive throughout the entire process. Since its installation five months ago, the crane has not had a single breakdown.
Related resource
In the wooded mountains of the Northeastern United States, a carbonless paper mill plant works with breakneck speed. With each overhead crane integral to the entire operation’s success, the cranes must be kept in pristine condition. However, the mill’s remote location made it difficult for any crane service company to arrive on site in less than three hours.
Our paper mill was established in the early 1990s. Believe it or not, our cranes haven’t been upgraded much since. Needless to say, we are constantly dealing with breakdowns due to our aging equipment.
