December 12, 2013
Contact: Dobler Joachim
+43 50809 41-574
Joachim.Dobler2@liebherr.com
On 18th November 2013, the international maritime bulk industry convened in the French capital Paris to attend the ceremony of the International Bulk Journal Awards 2013.
In the historical flair of the ‘Salle Wagram’ the IBJ Awards were presented for the fifth time. Liebherr Maritime Cranes was able to continue its run of success in the category ‘Crane of the Year’. With the MPG crane Liebherr was honoured with this title for the fourth time and since the founding of the IBJ Awards in 2009 the company has received a total of 6 awards. This year Liebherr could convince the jury of experienced experts who stated that thanks to the unique design of the Liebherr MPG multi-purpose grab crane and the considerable advantages offered through its innovative design and technology, the world’s largest floating transhipping hubs could successfully be put into operation in 2012 and 2013.
The Winner - Liebherr MPG Crane
The Liebherr MPG multi-purpose grab crane is designed for high speed and continuous operation, whereby safety and low maintenance requirements are of utmost priority during the design and construction stages. Examples for this are increased stability and significant reduction in grab swing as no luffing ropes are required, less wear on ropes due to ideal positioning of the hoisting winch, low centre of gravity and independent drive systems ensuring continuous operation with full load.
Numerous advantages provided through its unique design have led to the success of the MPG crane. In comparison to conventional slewing cranes, a further highlight is not only the increased outreach through the double girders (main and lift arms) but also the strategically positioned driver’s cabin. It is perfectly positioned to provide direct and unrestricted views of the hold as well as the hopper, thus eliminating dangerous situations on board the vessel (personnel in the hold, etc.). This considerably alleviates the work of the crane driver and so leads to increased turnover.
The integrated Litronic® Robot Control (LRC) and Dynamic Anti-Collision System (DACS®) are unique systems developed in-house by Liebherr in order to increase safety and enhance performance.
The Litronic® Robot Control eases operation between two pre-defined fixed points and reduces the pressure on crane drivers when several cranes are operating in one area. At the same time it ensures safe, efficient and speedy operation of the crane. The Dynamic Anti-Collision System controls the simultaneous operation of crane motions, thus ensuring best possible performance and protection for the crane. The basic idea behind DACS® is to prevent collision between the cranes and/or fixed obstacles. When a number of cranes are operating simultaneously, the action of each crane is dynamically controlled based on information about the current position of the neighbouring crane(s) and/or any other deck machinery (e.g. hoppers).
There are currently twenty units of Liebherr MPG cranes installed on various sizes of transhippers throughout the world. The crane configurations vary up to 45 t SWL at working radii up to 45 m.
The Ore Fabrica and Ore Sossego belonging to the Brazilian company VALE - with buffer storage of 285,000 tonnes and 260,000 tonnes respectively - are equipped with 5 MPG double girder cranes each. These offer a design capacity of 5,000 tonnes per hour which is significant considering the extreme hoisting height of more than 45 m at an outreach of 42 m. The MPG cranes can easily reach the holds, thanks to the double girder boom. Furthermore, the worldwide network of high standard service stations underlines Liebherr´s reputation as an acknowledged partner within the bulk handling industry.
The fourth IBJ Crane of the Year award further highlights Liebherr’s continuous endeavours to provide innovation, top quality and high performance in its range of maritime products. In close cooperation with the customer, Liebherr will continue to work on the development of new cranes in order to strengthen its top position as supplier to the bulk handling industry.
Port Name: Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH
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