Morris Taps into Xstrata’s Boshoek Plant

Yet again Morris Material Handling SA (Pty) Ltd was able to offer a tailor-made solution that not only meet the minimum requirements of Xtrata, but delivered far more than what was expected by the client.

Two 40 Ton Double Girder Fully Engineered Cranes (designed in-house) with spans of 24 Meter were recently commissioned at Xstrata’s tapping bay at their Boshoek Plant.

“A first ever for Morris to be awarded a contract for a crane of this classification and specification from Xstrata,” says Bryn Jones, Project Director at Morris Material Handling.

“Morris heavy-duty cranes share many of the features incorporated within the Morris range of double girder cranes in terms of the design and manufacturing standards, however, the heavy duty range of cranes are designed for extended duty cycles, high and frequent levels of loading and specific special applications such as may be found in the metal working industries, magnet or material grab equipment,” explains Bryn.

As with the cranes manufactured for Xstrata, special considerations had to be taken into account due to the working environment of the cranes which required particular design features to be incorporated to provide additional protection of a wide range of electrical and mechanical applications. “Ensuring maximum productivity within an environment of continuous operation requires not only the correct selection of components to minimise downtime but also easy and safe access to the various assemblies is paramount to aiding planned maintenance schedules within a minimum time period. To facilitate this an open drum hoist was adopted, incorporating proven design features and providing true vertical lifting. The separate gearbox, brake and motor equipment allows for ease of maintenance,” states Bryn. Morris Heavy duty and special cranes are available in configurations of double girder, 4 girder and portal construction.

The Morris Cranes erected at the Boshoek smelter perform a prime function, as they operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week within the tapping plant and are a primary part of ensuring that output from the process is maintained. “The cranes operate in demanding conditions with an average temperature of 60 Degrees Celsius, even though they are engineered to handle radiant temperatures up to 100 Degrees Celsius,” continues Bryn.

“In formulating the crane design with Xstrata’s plant engineers, it was critical that cognisance was paid to both their availability in terms of reliability, the arduous duty to be performed in terms of their continuous operation at maximum or close to their design load and the need to adequately protect all mechanical and electrical components from the effects of high radiated heat. Unlike a conventional ladle crane operation heat radiation in a tapping bay is generated from all sides of the crane which requires a greater attention to the protection of all equipment needed to operate the crane.“

“With Contracts of this nature it is of prime importance that the End User is involved in every aspect of design and manufacturing stages of the crane,“ continues Bryn. The joint collaboration of the dedicated Xstrata Project Management team led by Andries van Heerden and the Morris Team ensured that the final installation met the exacting requirements of the Xstrata manufacturing process but also ensured a complete and safe access arrangement to all areas of the crane to minimise downtime during planned maintenance schedules. “Safety, reliability & Quality are of prime importance to the Morris Team and are not negotiable” says Bryn.

The Morris products meet the most challenging of customer requirements and comply with all aspects of the South African Mines and Works and the Occupational Health and Safety Acts. A fully integrated computerised quality assurance programme is in operation to monitor every stage of the supply chain process – right from raw material acceptance through to delivery of the final product.

Xstrata’s Andries van Heerden, Engineering Manager at the time, is very satisfied with the manner in which the contract was handled. “Right from the tendering process, to the finer details required for the design of the crane, to the commissioning of the cranes, Morris Material Handling remained professional throughout. The two cranes were delivered to specification in November 2009. We are further impressed with the after service and maintenance arm, Crane Aid.,” he states.

“At Morris we go beyond the extra mile. We feel that our customers buy into a legend and we will continue to deliver services of the highest standard and excel expectations,” concludes Bryn.