Cargotec takes on STS life extensions in Malaysia

Kalmar will refurbish and upgrade ship-to-shore (STS) cranes at Port Klang in Malaysia.

Cargotec, kalmar's parent company, won the orders from Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, despite the cranes not being kalmar-built.

Eight cranes, capable of 48m outreach, will be completely refurbished with digital electrical system technology. Upgrades will be made to the cranes' PLCs, speed drives, control monitoring systems, motors, cables, brakes, festoon systems, operator cabins and load weighing systems. Two further post-Panamax cranes will be raised in height to accommodate larger container ships.

Collin Swee, director, Cargotec terminal business Malaysia, said the project aims to extend the life of Northport's quay cranes while offering improved return on its initial investment.

"These cranes are 10-15 years old, but they are still in good structural condition. We expect that their life expectancy will be extended by a minimum of 1 million cycles. Additionally, maintenance costs are expected to be lower in the medium- to long- term. Each unit will also benefit from a new crane maintenance management system (CMMS), for faster diagnosis of technical faults, in turn reducing mean time to repair," said Swee.

The cranes will also have their control systems modified to allow for twin-lift operations. Swee said that although the cranes are not Kalmar-built, the company would use its expertise to deliver 15% improvement in operational speed and efficiency.

The 20-month retrofit project will see cranes redelivered progressively, with the first back in service by end first quarter 2011, and the last operational by first quarter 2012. The separate crane height increase project will commence early next year.