Description of the E-Crane
In 2019, Georgia Pacific installed and commissioned a new 1000C Series / Model EH7317 E-Crane at their Wauna paper mill in Clatskanie, Oregon. Georgia Pacific is a world leader in the production of tissue, pulp, packaging and building products. The new E-Crane is used for unloading jumbo barges of wood chips into a hopper on the pier. The E-Crane is stationary on the dock, but its long outreach allows it to reach across the entire 78’ width of the woodchip barges at both high and low water elevations.
The E-Crane replaced an old-style ship unloading crane, which was mounted on the dock previously. The older machine was difficult to maintain, and Georgia Pacific decided it was time to replace it with a modern hydraulic crane. They understood the benefits of the E-Crane and how it would improve their production rates, safety, and reliability. As part of the turnkey project, E-Crane USA service technicians removed the old machine and used the existing foundation for the E-Crane.
The E-Crane loads the existing hopper at a rate of up to 500tph. Along with much faster cycle times and higher production, the E-Crane has many advantages for this operation. The operator cab sits about 65’ above the dock level, allowing for great visibility across the entire barge and into the hopper. The E-Crane is also able to utilize push down force, meaning that it can push down up to 50% of its lift capacity to increase the percentage of grab fill. Additionally, the automatic boom float feature slowly raises the grab as it closes along the bottom of the barge. These features allow for excellent grab fill factor and good barge cleanup, without doing any damage to the barge floor. Georgia Pacific has been operating successfully and are very happy with the machine.
