23 January 2019
A modern crane is now operated to handle and store merchant slabs in the Ilyich Steel's 1700 Hot Strip Mill. Investments of the Metinvest Group amounted to UAH 28 mln.
Handling equipment was purchased in Kharkov from the transportation engineering plant in summer 2018. The commissioning works have been started in September after completion of the installation. At the end of December, the first batch of slabs was loaded into railcars using the crane.
The lifting crane is equipped with an automatic safety system. In case of any malfunction in the mechanisms's operation, a self-regulation is triggered: the crane is switched off and the cause of malfunction is displayed in the operator’s panel. The crane is equipped with a bogie using a hook, tongs or electromagnets. The lifting capacity of each auxiliary mechanism is different, and the crane's total lifting capacity is 50 tons. It is impossible to overload the crane's mechanisms, since the tonnage is automatically adjusted.
The operator's workplace is comfortable: it is soundproofed, equipped with a fan heater and air conditioning.
Taras Shevchenko, the General Director of Ilyich Steel:
- The purchase of modern equipment is an integral part of the enterprise development. Until 2025, we shall replace four more lifting cranes in the slab classification and shipping area, as part of the reconstruction of the 1700 Hot Strip Mill. New cranes are more efficient, they provide for easier operation and improve occupational safety.