Sere Maintenance upgrades concrete handling at KP1

Sere Maintenance was approached by KP1, a French leader in prefabricated construction systems, for the design and manufacture of a custom-made overhead process crane for the transport and handling of concrete at one of its 20 production plants situated at Saint-Jacques de la Lande.

KP1 is a building industry company, solidly anchored in local economies with 39 plants, including 20 production units, spread across France. The group’s investment is ongoing for the optimisation of manufacturing performance and logistics, in programmes for major repairs to its concrete plants and production lines and it constantly integrates new processes for its products. It has also initiated a large-scale CSR (corporate social responsibility) plan to give the industry a greater sense of responsibility.

KP1 assigned the renewal and maintenance of its lifting devices and systems to Sere Maintenance five years ago, a company founded in 1962 at Vertou in the Loire-Atlantique administrative department, France and specialising in the design and sale of lifting equipment, handling systems and overhead cranes. Sere Maintenance carries out all required studies, tests, checks (general routine checks) and repairs for this machinery and equipment. In order to ensure the longevity and robustness of metal structures, it manufactures and exports products and accessories designed for cathodic protection (rectifiers, anodes, electrodes, switch cabinets and boxes, etc). Sere Maintenance handles Verlinde equipment commercially and is a member of the Europont network.

For its concrete slabs manufacturing facility, KP1 needed to optimise its overhead crane. It was used to move loads of 3.6t of concrete from the production plant to the hoppers, a distance of approximately 10m, where the slabs are poured. When the system was upgraded, KP1 required it to be automated to assure greater security of concrete loads as their liquid nature made them unstable and because they were off-centre in relation to the crane.  As the approach dimensions were reduced, the crane had to be made to measure.

Sere Maintenance proposed a 5t- double beam bridge (5 x 14m) with a Verlinde Eurobloc VT3 electric hoist and wire rope dual outlet. As the load is offset from the crane, the two lifting points ensure its stability. The hoist offers variable travel speed for very precise positioning of loads together with an ergonomic hook.

In top position, the load is held in a funnel by means of electric jacks which ensure it is closed. Its handling is then secure.