According to Konecranes, BlueScope Steel is using its programmed maintenance agreements to keep materials handling operations in Thailand moving.

BlueScope Steel has four operations in eastern Thailand. Konecranes covers the maintenance for 46 cranes from 2.5 to 50 tonnes capacity. These cranes are said to be vital to efficient maintenance and uninterrupted production of metallic coated and pre painted steel products for local and export markets.

Included in the agreements is BlueScope's largest facility in south east Asia, the Ma Ta Phut plant at Rayong, which incorporates a cold rolling mill and pickle line of 400,000 tonnes annual capacity, 2 metallic coating facilities with a capacity of 375,000 tonnes and a paint line capable of handling 90,000 tonnes.

The Ma Ta Phut facility includes various crane equipment, including a custom engineered semi gantry 30 tonnes capacity Konecranes especially designed to service a space efficient hot roll coil storage yard, replacing trucks and forklifts.

The 270 meters by 32 meters yard holds 2182 coils of steel, or about 50,000 tonnes of steel. It is serviced by the 30 tonnes capacity traveling crane that spans both the width of the yard and of the especially designed truck loading and unloading lane running parallel with it so that no truck needs to enter the yard.

According to BlueScope Steel staff, Konecranes’ SM 30 tonnes crane provides safe handling within the yard, with precise control of coil positioning, and the driver’s cab positioned directly over the crane hook so the operator can see what is happening below at all times.

Konecranes claims its programmed maintenance team services BlueScope Steel’s cranes, regardless of functions and sizes. While BlueScope mostly used Konecranes units, the on site team has the expertise to service all brands. The Konecranes team maintains two technicians on site at all times, reducing downtime.

(Sourced from www.mathandling.com.au)