Scotland’s leading overhead crane manufacturer, Konecranes UK, has become a key crane supplier to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link project.

Konecranes is supplying two contractors working on the new high speed railway line that is being built between London and the Channel Tunnel.

The first is a joint venture of Nuttall, Wayss & Freytag and Kier which has Contract 250 on the project. Konecranes is designing and manufacturing four 10t CXT double girder goliath cranes each with 27m span. These cranes are scheduled for delivery in November. All will be cabin controlled, with the cabin on and travelling with the trolley, DynAc Invertor on the long travel and Dual-Speed cross travel.

These goliaths, which will work in a precast concrete storage yard will have all the normal features such as Premium Life-Time Monitoring, flood lights, galvanised ropes and motor driven cable drums for long travel power supply. Each crane will be on its own long-travel track where the rails are also being supplied by Konecranes.

The second contract is for two 25t cranes for the Nishimatsu-Cementation-Skanska joint venture’s Contract 220 in Stratford, east London. The two SM Spacemaker Goliath cranes, each with 20m span and 1m x 5m cantilever, are cabin controlled with DynAhoist and Konecranes ESR double speed function. Each will have condition monitoring for controlled service, maintenance and increased safety and each crane will be fitted with storm locks and motor rain covers. Motorised cable drums will be used to provide crane power along the long travel track.

To accommodate the 38m lift requirement and high performance throughput, fairly high speeds are utilised on all motions where 80m/min is used on the long travel and 40m/min on the cross traverse. The hoists will be capable of 16m/min when fully laden and 32m/min with 20% load. All of these speeds being controlled by Konecranes DynA Inverter Technology.

Delivery of second contract will be in the spring of 2002. The combined value of the two orders approaches £1m ($1.4m), Konecranes said.