Projects
Several years in the making, cranes 11-12 have been procured by Miami-Dade County Port of Miami to provide its customers with the require service for the new millennium. These cranes are designed with our customer's requirements in mind of their future needs to work 22 wide container ships and lift 65 long tons under a twin lift mode spreader. They augment the currently operating cranes 1-10 with added lifting capacity as well as cycle time.
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Cranes No. 11-12 were designed and fabricated by ZPMC in Shanghai, China where every phase was overseen by Crane Management, GBB and World Crane Service. To prepare for effective management and maintenance of these state-of-the-art cranes, Crane Management sent four (4) of our best Technicians and Mechanics to ZPMC's Changxing Base while the cranes were in the commissioning phase. Their task was to become knowledgeable and efficient in maintaining the cranes as well as insuring the cranes were configured to our requirements. After resolving all issues and commissioning was completed at Changxing Base; the fully erected cranes were shipped on 2-Nov-2004. Thereafter, commencement of the New Year, the cranes arrived in Miami on 4-January-2005.
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Upon arrival, the Zhen Hua 4 was berthed at Wharf 3 were the cranes were unloaded in a few days time. Soon after, work started to prepare the cranes for final commissioning. Once the preparation was completed, the final testing and certification were performed. And, on 20-May-2005 the two cranes commenced commercial operation at the Port of Miami.
Along with the new cranes on the Zhen Hua 4, the Port of Miami took delivery of four (4) new operator cabins for cranes 7-10, two (2) sets, eight in total, of trolley wheels for cranes 8 and 10, four (4) new 50LT Twin-lift 20/40/45 Spreaders for the existing cranes 4-10, a 50LT Over-height Adaptor, and, a 75LT Cargo Beam with three (3) 65LT Twin-lift 20/40/45 Spreader for the new cranes. For technical details please see Crane Data, Cranes No. 11-12.
After a competitive selection process was performed, the relocation work was awarded on 5-July-2005 to Noell Konecranes to relocate the three cranes. Crane 1 was the first crane to be removed from service and relocated after which cranes 2 and 3 were relocated individually to Wharf 6. The work lasted approximately four weeks until crane 3 was moved and placed back into operation without any millstones on 2-August-2005.
After contractual agreements were consummated by the Seaport with contractor the electrification of the Port's gantry cranes 4-10 commenced in July 2004. The civil works commenced first while the crane work was performed by ECC (East Coast Cranes) beginning in August 2004. All work under contract was completed by 30-November-2005 to include the complete electrification of cranes 4-5-6 allowing these cranes to be operationally ready.
The civil work of the electrification included construction and installation of new cable trench, strengthening of the crane rail support beam, new storm tie-downs for cranes 11-12, electrical underground duct banks, manholes, electrical pits, new fenders and electrical switchgear room which electrical power was provided directly from a new electric vault built for the utility company. This civil work was completed at Wharf 3, 4 and 5. Wharf 2 was not constructed since the required dredging work was not completed prior to this work commencement.
The other phase of the electrification encompassed the crane components installation, startup, commissioning, testing and certification. All this work was performed on all cranes with the exception of startup, commissioning, testing and certification on cranes 7-10 since the civil work was not constructed at Wharf 2. As a result, cranes 4-5-6 are currently running on electric power from the new electric power vault.
As cranes 4-5-6 were built in the mid 1980s, the cranes work with outdated analog control drives amongst other components which have reached the end of their efficient work lifespan. As such, Crane Management has scheduled the upgrade of these cranes to digital technology along with replacing other outdated and troublesome components.
After the electrification was completed in December 2005 we commenced the upgrading work and as of May 2007 we have approximately completed 70% of the work. The first components to be replaced were the two main hoist electric motors on crane 4, the gantry motors on crane 5 and the storm brakes on all three cranes. In addition to this work we have installed new operator's cabin on all three cranes.
In March 2006 Crane 6 went through the final upgrade phase when the electrical controls system and other critical components were upgrade. A new festoon system was installed to include power cables and fiber optics from operator's cabin to drive system in electric room. The outdated drive system was upgraded from Tyrak L to DCS600 and DCR600, the PLC from MP200 to a new AC410 Advant Controller with CMS. In addition to the upgrade of the drives, new remote I/Os modules were required to be install in the operator's cabin and trolley house. This included a new operator's chair and consoles.
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On April 5, 2007 crane 5 was taken out of service to go through the final phase of upgrade. During this time a new festoon system was installed to include power cables and fiber optics from operator's cabin to drive system in electric room. Additionally, two (2) newer model main hoist motors were installed as well as the upgrade of drive system was performed. The drive upgrade included replacing the outdated drive system from Tyrak L to DCS600 and DCR600, the PLC from MP200 to a new AC410 Advant Controller with CMS. In addition to the upgrade of the drives, new remote I/Os modules were required and install in the operator's cabin and trolley house. Crane 5 was returned to service on May 25, 2007, ahead of it scheduled return to service of June 1, 2007.
As of May 30, 2007 the upgrades of crane 6 and 5 have been completed. Remaining is the upgrade of crane 4 which is scheduled to commence in October 2007. As such, removal of the crane from service we will be coordinated and scheduled with Port Operation.
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