Metals Industry

Application Fields

• Steelworks and foundries
• Rolling mills
• Storage and staging

Steelworks and foundries

We have the right crane solutions for a variety of applications in foundries: casting cranes with up to four crane girders for the safe and efficient handling of ladles. Double-girder overhead travelling cranes in-house transport of the components required for casting (e.g. mould boxes) and for handling the castings to be processed.

Crane Solution for Scrapyard

Scrap metal is one of the main raw materials for steelmaking. Scrap metal can reach steel mills by sea, rail and road. When the scrap metal reaches the scrapyard, the crane must reach into the transport vehicle and unload the metal safely and quickly. Crucially, these unloading cranes must be reliable and efficient to ensure that transport vehicles pass through the facility and allow waste to flow into the factory. Speed is of the essence: the faster the vehicle is unloaded, the sooner it can leave.

Sometimes more waste is received than can be processed immediately. And it is often mixed and needs to be classified before smelting. You may have a large storage area, and your crane must be able to reach all parts of the area to quickly obtain the correct materials. Scrap cranes are usually bridge cranes that are used to unload trains or road vehicles, sort materials, and load steel drums for loading into the furnace. Since waste is a difficult-to-handle material and has no fixed hook or pliers shape, we recommend the high-speed grab overhead cranes and high-speed electromagnetic cranes. The claw grab can pick up anything it can bite with its teeth. The magnet pulls the complete metal sheet onto its surface. Both types of cranes can adapt to your load type and site conditions, and are equipped with the level of automation that meets your requirements.

Crane Solution for Smelting Workshop

Steelmaking is a continuous process. The smelting workshop is a dangerous environment with extremely hot, suffocating dust, hot metal and open flames. The smelting shop crane must be able to safely lift and carry liquid metal drums.

Manufacturing molten steel

There are two main sources for the composition of steel: iron ore raw materials and scrap. Because they are different substances, they are treated separately. Iron ore and coking coal are combined in a direct reduction process to produce solid metallic iron. The ladle crane lifts the molten iron and mixes it with scrap to make molten steel.

The scrap from the scrapyard is loaded into the furnace with an overhead crane. The main lifting machinery lifts the hopper to the melting furnace. The auxiliary crane on the crane opens and closes the bucket during loading. Depending on the equipment, an alkaline oxygen furnace or an electric arc furnace can be used. In large steel mills, scrap is added to iron, but in small steel mills, scrap may be the only original source of liquid metal.

Cast molding

From the initial blast furnace in the steelmaking process, a pouring crane helps to mix the molten metal in the correct proportions. Once the mixing is correct, the molten steel will be cast into shape. Tundish cranes are usually used for tundish maintenance and handling.

Multifunctional crane

Loading cranes, ladle cranes, gate cranes and tundish cranes are all very similar, and their names are defined according to their location and function in the factory. They are usually bridge cranes equipped with special attachments for lifting giant ladle containing liquid metal. They usually perform more than one function and are used as backups for each other. An auxiliary hoist can be added for waste charging and maintenance functions, such as cleaning the empty ladle or lifting the furnace shell.

Crane Solution for Rolling mills

The slabs and billets from the smelting plant are incandescent and ductile. They can be passed through a rolling machine and turned into any shape required. Sometimes this is done immediately. Sometimes they are placed in a storage area for later processing. Because the environment in the melting shop is very dangerous, the press is usually at a distance from it. A crane is required to move the cool, but still hot, ductile shape from the casting to the rolling mill.

Move hot metal

The billet or slab crane is usually a highly maneuverable electric overhead (EOT) crane. It requires a long journey between the smelting workshop and the rolling area. If needed, it can transfer hot, soft metals from the casting area to the storage area. It can also feed steel billets or slabs into the rolls when needed. Maybe the steel needs to be reheated in another furnace to continue forming. The same crane can transport the formed steel to another conveyor for further processing or transport it to a storage area.

Suitable for load handling equipment of various shapes and sizes

The various products and shapes that fall off the drum mean that the crane requires a special load handling device. Mechanical or hydraulic clamps can clamp slabs, magnets can clamp slabs, billets or coils, and C-hooks can lift coils and smaller billets. Because steel needs to be insulated and formed, there is a certain amount of radiant heat, and the grab needs to be insulated.

Positioning aid

The floor space of each factory is limited. A rotating trolley or lifting beam helps the operator to more accurately place the steel on the conveyor that feeds the drum or storage area. Auxiliary cranes help locate longer objects and maintenance tasks.

Storage and staging

When steel products leave the production line, some of them may be shipped immediately, while others must be taken to storage facilities.

Cranes suitable for all types of warehouses

The cranes in the warehouse are usually electric overhead cranes (EOT) installed above the main storage area. These areas are not very hot or dusty, but still need some thermal protection. Smaller facilities that do not have room for gantry or bridge cranes may use wall console cranes. In large-scale operations, these can also be used as auxiliary cranes. Yuantai provides you with the lifting equipment required for reliable and efficient steel storage. Whether you are operating a large steel warehouse, a small regional distribution office, or any organization in between, we can help you improve the efficiency of your warehouse operations.

Our EOT cranes can also be equipped with many smart functions. For example, target positioning, sway control, and load floating not only shorten the processing time, but also reduce the wear and tear of the crane, helping to extend its service life.

Yuantai provides the required spreader accessories to easily handle different loads of steel. Whether you need plates, tubes, coils, coils or any other products, we have all the professional hook extensions you need.