Innovative Crane Drive Solutions in the Field of

Heavy-Duty Port Logistics - an Extract from the

State-of-the-Art Technology
In nearly all international and national ports, the volume of cargo handling is continuing to grow, thus creating a keen demand for new
and replacement crane equipment. At the same time, the flexibility of cargo handling systems in particular, the speed requirements
- can be a major operating factor.

nnovative drive technology approaches to rail-mounted portals,

especially on narrow quays fitted with rails are an important issue.
Furthermore, substantially shorter loading times, highest lifting
capacities and utmost reliability are fundamental conditions where
new drive component optimization is build on.

For example, the port of Hamburg has successfully secured its

excellent reputation as a port that provides rapid and reliable
services, even in peak times.
The challenges presented by double-digit growth,
e.g. in
container traffic, have served to underscore the efficiency and
strength of the largest center in Northern Europe.

The

crane building project in the vicinity of the river port of

Dillingen, Saar, Germany, which began in 2000, serves as an
example to show the common sense of heavy duty applications in
port logistics as well as in steel industry. It is also used to compare
the experience and knowledge gained at that time with the current
converter and coupling technology for the design of advanced drive
solutions. The equipment and components of the cranes still have
not lost anything of their up-to-dateness, since the operators at an
early stage attached great importance on the installation of reliable
and future-oriented technology. Besides new equipment, the
modernization of old installations is becoming more and more
important, particularly with regard to the retrofit of frequency
converters. The frequency controlled drive motors required a new
technical approach to ensure high positioning accuracy of the hoist
and crane-travel gearing in combination with efficient coupling and
safety brake technology.
View at the river port of Dillingen/Saar with heavy load slab loading
via rail or vessel

New Building Details:

Modern lifting mechanism of a high-capacity crane with cable drums,

gearboxes, electric motors with frequency converter operation and highly
efficient coupling and brake technology

smooth start up is ensured by activating the drives by converters or pre-specified starting ramps so that the crane is prepared for
the various operation modes required while under load or running idle. The drives are decelerated by energy recovering units, socalled braking choppers, which are integrated into the network.
This energy recovery effect is one of the economic aspects in advanced crane designs of today. The working mode of the converter is
of great importance for the selection of the coupling type. While soft couplings have, up to now, been preferred to dampen start-up
shocks, this technical feature may be disruptive in connection with converter operation, and may lead to vibration problems and
positioning inaccuracies in some applications. The drive line, consisting of motor, coupling and gearbox, represents - simply said - a
two-mass oscillator, whose natural frequency is greatly influenced by the torsional stiffness of the coupling.
Time-lag or rigid control loops can be supplied by the converter manufacturer. The large torsion angle of torsionally soft couplings
influences the control accuracy of the converter and may, in extreme cases, cause oscillating torques. Both, the elastomer of the
coupling and the gearbox can be damaged; annoying noises and vibrations may occur. These problems can be reduced or eliminated
by using a harder elastomer material. There also exists the possibility to re-program the control system to adapt it to the given
circumstances.
The use of a torsionally stiff all-metal coupling would be a logical alternative. The steel disk coupling, however, must be aligned as
precisely as possible, and stiff structures are necessary to safely take up all the forces occurring during crane operation. Gear
couplings require a certain amount of maintenance, because these need to be lubricated at regular intervals.
The narrow space conditions in the drive line call for couplings of short construction. Torsionally stiff couplings such as gear couplings
or disk couplings are only capable of compensating larger radial misalignments if they are of a sufficient construction length.
It must be possible to replace the disk packs of steel disk couplings without having to move the connected machines that have been
aligned to each other.

n order to meet all these requirements, TSCHAN GmbH, in

close cooperation with experienced crane manufacturers, have
developed the torsionally stiff disk coupling Posimin NFFU, the
construction length of which is protected by patent. The disk
packs are easily replaceable without having to move the motor
or the gearbox.

Arrangement of a lifting mechanism equipped with the new torsionally stiff

coupling TSCHAN POSIMIN NFFU and the new barrel coupling TSCHAN TK
Crane Boost, integrated in the rope drum.

The crane operators specified the following

requirements:

Lifting up single slabs from the roller

table, rotating the slabs horizontally
and stapling the slabs.

Sorting and transfer to the

warehouse, with subsequent loading
onto the available transportation
vehicles.

Heavy-load crane while lifting up slabs

Example of a drive train with elastomeric claw coupling type TSCHAN SDDL with brake, to connect the electric motor and the gearbox

n the main hoisting mechanism of the transport crane, flexible couplings of type TSCHAN S with brake disk on the gearbox side are
installed between the motor and gearbox. In the event of a power failure, the safety brake automatically closes, and thus prevents
uncontrolled lowering of the lifted load.
TSCHAN TK Crane Boost

TSCHAN TK Crane
Boost . This coupling is made of 42CrMo4V and is the ideal solution for crane applications. It serves as a cable drum articulated joint
in medium and high-speed torque transmissions of crane hoist mechanisms and conveying systems.
With a maximum diameter of 850 mm, the coupling is capable of transmitting torques of up to 685 kNm and radial loads of up to
380 kN. The practical experience gained throughout the last decades from barrel couplings installed in iron and steel mills with their
heavy-duty and rugged service conditions, or from applications such as spreaders, ship dischargers and container cranes, contributed
to this optimized design.
The port operators and crane manufacturers now dispose of a low-cost alternative to the conventional TTX Standard. In comparison
to this, the
has the same diameter, but distinguishes itself by a 5 - 10 % higher torque transmission
capability. Additional axial locking devices that hold the rolling elements in place are standard features. The couplings comply with the
requirements of SEB 666212 and are also available according to SIDMAR BR3-550 Standard.
The barrel coupling series
TK Classic
. Both coupling series are produced in the German operation site in Neunkirchen/ Saar.

Additional requirements set forth by the crane operators:

20C to +40C.
To allow the acceleration with low motor power, the mass moment of inertia of the couplings with integrated brake disk
must be as low as possible.

Further advantages and benefits of the installed

elastomeric couplings:

signed for a load capacity of 90 t and

145 to, including dead weight.

Conclusion:

The coupling that is installed in the drive line of high capacity crane applications, regardless of whether the cranes are used for
goods transfer in ports or in foundries, always plays a key role; it transmits the entire power in a compact space, while assuring firstrate and reliable performance. The fact that the price for a coupling only comes up to about 12 - 15 percent of the price for a
gearbox is out of proportion when considering the important function of a coupling - however, these are the specifications of the
market

These efforts result in considerable savings, in particular:

lower maintenance costs

reduced quantity of wear parts to be put on stock
lower repair costs
higher lifetime of equipments and increased serviceability.

The described design concept complies with the latest state of the art, and can be seamlessly applied to container unloading cranes
(headword: ship to shore), mobile harbor cranes and portal harbor cranes. Port operators are also offered the possibility to
modernize existing installations with powerful frequency converter technology and optimum coupling solutions that meet all the
requirements with the highest level of efficiency and safety.

Dipl.-Ing. Volker Carl, Design Manager TSCHAN GmbH