Agricultural machinery manufacturer Kuhn has installed Demag equipment at its Kuhn MGM plant in Monswiller, north-west of Strasbourg in France, as it expands the site’s production operations from four assembly lines to eight.
Nine ZVKE V-type girder overhead travelling cranes with an individual load capacity of 20t and 120 DC-Pro chain hoists are now assisting Kuhn employees along the new assembly lines and in shipping at the plant.
A further 3.2km of a KBK light crane system completely spans the new assembly lines.
The nine ZVKE double-girder overhead travelling cranes feature V-type girders. The diaphragm joints of the V-type crane girder design allow light to pass through. Thanks to the reduced amount of material, the crane girder deadweight is reduced, which is beneficial for the building structure. The overhead travelling crane spans range from 10.4m to 28.3m.
“The first time I saw the crane was at another customer’s facilities, and I have to say I was impressed right away. The crane girder is almost invisible, since it lets so much light through, and that also gives the impression that the crane is very light,” said Stéphane Schissele, building and maintenance manager at Kuhn MGM.
The cranes’ 20t load capacity enables Kuhn MGM to transport larger and heavier agricultural machinery for final assembly and to the shipping area. At the end of the production line, five cranes assist with the last assembly steps, making it possible to join the pre-assembled and heavier components.
The other four ZVKE units are in a newly built shipping area, to load packages of finished components and agricultural machinery onto trucks for worldwide distribution.
On all nine cranes, a smart SafeControl system monitors and ensures safe operation. The two-stage cut-off prevents the crane and the trolley from colliding with the limit stops. When the first limit switch is reached, the long-travel or cross-travel speed switches to creep speed. As soon as the second limit switch is reached, the long-travel or cross-travel drive is switched off, gently braking the travel motion. Load sway is prevented with a combination of continuously variable control and limit switches.
Two of the ZVKE units operate on a crane runway within the production section. An optical crane anti-collision system prevents collisions: dual laser sensors measure the distance between the corresponding cranes on the runway, and if previously defined minimum approach distances are exceeded, the relevant crane is shut down in two stages. In the first stage, the crane can only be moved at slow speed; in the second stage, the crane is switched off.
With the Demag StatusBoard on the crane girder, operators can always see the weight of the load on the hook. In addition, the StatusBoard displays the current operating statuses of the crane in real time. These include, for example, the load capacity, total load, overload, service information or the activated assistance and convenience features of the SafeControl system.
The DC-Pro chain hoists have a standard hook path of 5m and load capacities of up to 1,000kg when moved by hand and up to 2,000kg when moved electrically. Components can be moved with both drive methods at assembly stations. Articulated connections between the crane girders and trolleys make sure that pre-assembled sub-assemblies can be handled from the assembly station to the machine frame. The partially variable and low speeds of the chain hoists help crane operators to position the sub-assemblies for assembly operations.
The hoists also feature a gearbox, slipping clutch and brake that are maintenance-free for up to ten years.
The compatibility of Demag components with each other ensures that Kuhn MGM can even use its existing chain hoists from older generations, such as the DK and PK chain hoists.
Demag’s KBK light crane system network extends along the assembly lines below the ceiling of the production facility. Employees move individual agricultural machinery components with KBK single-girder and double-girder cranes from the logistics line to the assembly stations at the production lines, which have a length of around 100m and an approximate width of 25m.
“Demag products provide enormous flexibility and make it possible to manufacture complex assemblies in small areas,” said Schissele. “The products have extremely long service lives. They can also withstand some serious loads, and have individual components that can be ordered even after 20 or 30 years without a problem. In addition to that, our need for optimal operating safety is something that Demag products meet to a ‘T’. We’re 100% satisfied with our solutions.”
Overall, the Kuhn MGM assembly plant was expanded by a total of 20,461m2. More specifically, 11,065m2 for a new assembly facility, 5,437m2 for an extension to the logistics facility, and 3,017m2 for a shipping facility.
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