The
Biggest E-Crane (Balance Crane) ever built is in service
at the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas, USA, at the Berry
Dock West facility. The crane is able to work ships up to
80,000 DWT, the operating capacity in grab mode (duty cycle
work) is 27 UStons / 24.5 Mtons. Maximum outreach is as
much as 147 ft / 45 m. When fitted with a hook instead of
a grab, the crane has a capacity of 32 UStons / 29 Mtons.
Attachments can be changed with a quick change device, allowing
the crane to be switched readily to general cargo products.
The
crane's main task, however, is to unload iron ore out of
panamax size ships at the terminal, and the crane is equipped
with a specially designed heavy duty hydraulic grab. The
crane mounting is a high portal gantry on crawlers making
it possible for the crane to work both on the quay (loading
and offloading ships) and in the yard (stockpiling, loading
dumper trucks,...). In both cases the design of the lower
allows traffic underneath the crane and when working along
the quay, the crane is straddling a conveyor belt while
offloading material into a hopper.
To
optimize the driver's line of sight, the operator's cab,
located 46 ft/14 m above quay level, can be moved hydraulically
forward, down, and up.
As
Mr. Michael Berry, Terminal Manager at Berry Dock West,
expressed ,"The versatility of the E-Crane, together
with the new quay, is the key for our success in the future...
"
