E-Crane commissioned in Västerås
The commissioning of an E-Crane and the inland Port of Västerås, 100 km west of Stockholm and on the north shore of Lake Mälaren, marks a breakthrough for newly established Port-Trade AS based in Frederica, Denmark, as it is the first to be sold in Sweden.
Mälarhamnar had previously considered an excavator type design to replace an elderly Kone level-luffing crane and its selection focused on the Swedish MultiDocker design, based at nearby Norrköping, or the design from Mantsinen in Finland.
The E-Crane, manufactured in Belgium, has a fixed arm, knuckle joint jib configuration as does the MultiDocker and Mantsinen. It differs in that the arm is not hydraulically actuated but positioned using an upper beam controlled through a hydraulically-operated sliding counterweight (E for Equilibrium or balance).
As such it can perform the same spotting control as an excavator-based crane but, due to the sliding counterweight, provides the same load path as a jib crane instead of the irregular pattern of a hydraulic boom crane.
The purchase price of both designs, according to John Muller, the director of Port-Trade, is approximately the same but delivery times are considerably quicker for the excavator-based machines as they are based on standard parts. Delivery time of the E-Crane supplied to Västerås was shortened as the machine was second-hand. It was fully refurbished and reclassified by DNV, thereby allowing Port-Trade to compete with local manufacturers.
Existing slew ring
The unit supplied is a type 11264 rated at 11 tons at 26.4m outreach for grab work. In what appears to be neat solution, the crane has been mounted fitted on the upper slew ring of an existing rail-mounted portal, replacing the upper works of the original level-luffing crane. As part of the package, Port-Trade also supplied three new, MRS hydraulic grabs for the crane, with different sizes and capacities.
Port-Trade is a new trading and service company which was set up by John Muller and his son Peter who both previously worked for Åkerbergs after the latter company was taken over by another Danish company, JHH (Johs.Møllers Maskiner A/S).
It is understood that following the restructuring and by agreement with the new owners, the equipment sales activities of Åkerbergs were handed over to Port-Trade. Hence Port-Trade now presents Gottwald, MRS and others in the Scandinavian market.
However, it is further understood that JMM / Åkerbergs has just acquired distribution rights for Liebherr cranes in Scandinavia, including the range of harbour mobile cranes made in Austria.
Handover of the 11 tonnes – 26.4m, E-Crane at the Port of Västerås. Shown from the left: Peter Muller (sales manager, Port-Trade), Patrick Åmann (managing director, Mälarhamnar) and Bas Tolhuizen (sales manager, E-Crane)
