Demag overhead cranes to handle molton metal in Saudi Arabia

Terex Material Handling has been awarded a contract by Outotec for the delivery of two Demag casting cranes. The process cranes will be used in Jazan Economic City, Saudi Arabia, where Outotec is building a new ilmenite smelter for Christal Global, which is the world’s second largest producer of titanium oxide.

The two identical cranes, which have load capacities of up to 120t, will be used for handling casting ladles and for feeding the casting furnaces with molten metal.

Lutz Dowy, head of process cranes, said: “Our focus on specific applications, such as those in the steel production sector, has enabled us to develop in-depth expertise in the industry. Our customers benefit from this wealth of knowledge, since we are able to offer them crane solutions that are engineered to meet their exact needs.”

It is understood that the crane manufacturer’s global presence also played a significant role in the contract award.

The cranes have spans of 22m and lifting heights of 13m. They are each equipped with two Demag hoist units (with multi-purpose winches) which have load capacities of 120t and 40t and are installed on one crab. The scope of delivery also includes special spreaders that are used to handle the casting ladles.

While the 120t hoist is used for lifting, the 40t unit is employed for the tipping motion. Since this requires exact positioning of the crane, drive systems need sophisticated control in three motion axes. Thus, all drives on the cranes—the long and cross-travel drives and the hoist drives—are fed by frequency inverters.

Both cranes are designed to operate reliably in arduous environments. Besides high dust levels, temperatures reach up to 65°C in the facility. To ensure high availability, the entire control system is installed in air-conditioned switchgear cabinets on the crane bridge. The cranes are controlled from an enclosed crane cab, which is also equipped with air-conditioning due to the high temperatures.