Increasing material handling speeds: a SENNEBOGEN 880 EQ in use at Redpath Sugar

Sugar is sold at Redpath Sugar in both summer and winter. This poses a major challenge, particularly during the cold season, as the port is inaccessible for several months at temperatures of up to – 20 °C. This means that the company has to work even harder in the summer months, unloading everything as quickly as possible to build up stock for the cold months. Two old cable cranes have been replaced with a new SENNEBOGEN 880 EQ. At the first signs of spring, the machine showed just what it could do for the first time. With a material handling performance of 600 t per hour, the 880 EQ significantly out-performs its predecessors. A complete loading system made up of a material handling machine and hopper was set up on the existing rails. The machine sits on a semi-gantry and the hopper is taken along automatically when the machine is moved so that it is always in the right place.

With a capacity of around 8,000 kg sugar per cycle, the SENNEBOGEN 880 EQ moves nearly twice as much as the previous two cranes put together. The customer is particularly impressed with the electric motor. Keeping the noise and exhaust emissions as low as possible was particularly important due to the proximity to other buildings. The electric motor and counterweight also offer optimal power and energy efficiency – an important criteria for keeping operating costs low. The new 880 EQ was individually adapted to the conditions at the site in close cooperation between the customer, the sales and service partner Top Lift Enterprises and SENNEBOGEN LLC. The machine reaches a height of 9 m with rail-mounted semi-gantry and pylon elevation. With the cab position set at 6 m, the driver has full view of the ship and inside the hopper from above. The elastically mounted SENNEBOGEN Portcab spacious cab offers complete all-round view with a window in the floor and large window areas, as well as outstanding ergonomics and excellent sense of space. The robust slewing ring with powerful drive guarantees quick material handling speeds. The raw sugar can be unloaded quickly and safely with the 10 m³ clamshell grab from Rotobec. The sugar production is protected over the entire year and the ships can also keep to their schedule.

In contrast to the previous cable cranes, the material handling machine uses its hydraulic force to reach deep into the loading goods and fill the grab optimally. This required a change in the work processes at first, but the drivers now report that the machine has become an integral part of the process and they are proud to be making an important contribution to the success of the company with increased material handling performance.

Statement:

"We have definitely made the right decision with the SENNEBOGEN 880 EQ. We planned to increase our productivity by up to 50 % by investing in this new machine. I'm sure that we will reach this goal thanks to the outstanding performance." Jonathan Dunn, Redpath’s Manager for Engineering projects.

Caption:

In close cooperation with the customer, SENNEBOGEN incorporated the 880 EQ Electro on a rail-mounted semi-gantry with connected hopper in the existing infrastructure at Redpath Sugar in Toronto.