SPRINGFIELD, Ohio, Jan. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global crane technology leader Konecranes has retooled its flagship heavy winch design, incorporating the best features of its Uniton and Smarton models into the new M-series winch.
Konecranes next-generation heavy-duty winch offers improved hook approaches and flange mounted motors for positive motor to gearcase alignment that reduces component wear. M-series’ updated trolley layout improves safety while better facilitating inspections and maintenance with the use of convenient and safe trolley walkways. These design features, combined with Konecranes purpose-built, crane-duty Core of Lifting components have resulted in a winch that can easily be configured to fulfill the needs of various production processes.
“The M-series was developed to capture all of the most reliable and proven elements of Konecranes market-leading lifting technology into a single hoist that answers the demands of our most severe process-duty customers,” says Juergen Gieske, vice president, crane sales. “This hoist delivers exceptional reliability through its robust construction and heavy-duty design, enhanced by a long list of updates and refinements that stem from Konecranes dedication to safety and extended equipment life.”
The M-series winch is available in capacities up to 70 metric tons, and CMAA ratings from D through F for service in a broad range of process duty applications. It features Konecranes own Core of Lifting motors, carburized and ground gearboxes, hardened wheels and control systems that are designed and manufactured to work together seamlessly as an integrated whole.
One standout innovation for the M-series is the relocation of the hoist brake. It is now situated directly on the gear case, a significant safety step forward from previous designs that attached it to the motor. In that configuration, if a motor shaft cracked the brake would not function.
“This new brake location is as close as you can get to the drum without putting the flange brake on the drum itself,” says Gieske. “We relocated the brake for better safety, and it also delivers best-in-industry 200 percent motor torque braking.” M-series also offers an optional second brake on the motor if needed for the application for added safety or for hot/molten metal applications.
M-series is built with Konecranes own Core of Lifting crane-specific motors designed for continuous reversing of direction and higher thermal loads. Motors have an extended speed range at two times (200 percent) the nominal speed at 20 percent of rated capacity or less for greater productivity.
Another standout efficiency improvement is the more compact, motorized hook block that fits in smaller spaces. The reeving system includes a highly accurate load cell on an equalizing beam with the ability to detect and display the load as a weigh system with the addition of a weight scoreboard to +/- 5 percent of rated capacity. Two independent wire ropes with fixed ends retard hook block twisting throughout the lifting path on all applications, and the swinging upper block sheaves allow side-pulling as much as 10 degrees.
Standard features that Konecranes customers have come to expect are still here. The highest gear quality in the industry (AGMA 11) and hardened wheels (45-55 HRC or 419-552 Brinell) are standard, along with Konecranes moment-isolation drum suspension that maintains alignment of the hoist drum pinion to drum gear and shaft for longer life.
In addition to these features, an extensive list of Safe Features and state-of-the-art user interfaces such as Remote Operating Station (ROS) are available to increase productivity and safety of use. Over Speed and Over Load Protection are standard, along with Shock Load Prevention and upper and lower slow down and stop limits for the hoist bridge and trolley motions. Other Safe Features that can be added include Hook Centering, Snag Prevention and Sway Control.
Obviously, there is a lot to know about the new M-series, so it is beneficial that all of the crane’s operations are automatically monitored and archived by Konecranes TRUCONNECT® Remote Monitoring, which collects key data points for crane maintenance planning and extended equipment life. TRUCONNECT is closely integrated to the yourKONECRANES® cloud-based customer portal, which conveniently brings crane condition and maintenance information online or delivers it to managers via alerts.
“We see the M-series becoming a valued asset in the most demanding process industries, including steel, copper and aluminium mills, steel warehouses, paper mills, automotive applications, mining and shipyards,” says Gieske. “M-series represents a significant evolution of Konecranes technology for heavy-duty process performance and maximized uptime.”
Additional information:
Amulya Raghuveer, Marketing and Communications Manager,
Konecranes Region Americas
amulya.raghuveer@konecranes.com or 937.525.5533.
For further technical information:
Juergen Gieske – VP Crane Sales
juergen.gieske@konecranes.com or Cell: 262-853-2062
About Konecranes, Inc.
Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. The Group has 18,000 employees at 600 locations in 50 countries. Konecranes class A shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR).
This press release is available at www.konecranesUSA.com.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ac9f9fd-ae4e-40aa-951f-f6a0a5acb151