Bespoke cranes for Dunlop Oil and Marine

The Challenge

Serving the worldwide oil and gas industry, Dunlop Oil & Marine produces specialist hoses for every stage of oil and gas field development.

The company required bespoke overhead cranes to significantly improve order turnaround, so turned to Street Crane for the solution.

The company required overhead cranes to assist with its processing requirements and which could fit within an existing, height-restricted structure. The cranes had to be able to quickly and efficiently switch production from one hose type to another, including loading mandrels onto hose fabrication machines and offloading the completed product.

The Solution

Due to the limited height, the beam of a conventional crane would have been too deep, so Street engineered special cranes to overcome this. In the main production area, six single girder cranes have been configured as two triple girder cranes using rigid link beams. These cranes have a lifting capacity of 9.6 tonnes and each beam features a 3.2 tonne hoist to support the long hose lengths.

Street’s ZX 64 LH – low headroom hoists were also installed and configured so that they would operate without intruding into the space below the beam.

In a second workshop, where heavy-duty and higher diameter hoses of shorter length are produced, a double girder crane of 15 tonnes safe working load has been installed.

In the test and warehousing area a double girder crane of 20 tonnes, with twin 10 tonne hoists, has been installed for cable and drum handling.

The Benefits

Improved efficiency:

• Custom-made cranes minimise space and maximise efficiency.
• The cranes can be operated singly or electronically synchronised to move together when double-length hoses are produced.

Minimal, easy maintenance:

• Street Crane’s ZX hoist technology is used throughout – based on an open chassis, components run cooler and are easy to access for service.
• Gears, which run in an oil-filled gearbox, are easily inspected via an access plate without the need to dismantle

Enhanced safety:

• The hoists include unique safety features such as an easily accessible brake, which is located away from the motor to avoid heat transfer.
• Digital load displays, audible approach alarms, anti-collision protection and HBC radio controls ensure safe and reliable crane operation throughout the plant.

“Gantry Cranes are often an integral part of the manufacturing process, but Dunlop Oil & Marine have taken crane integration one stage further. These cranes have been engineered to enable both tooling and product to be handled safely, efficiently and flexibly, helping the company achieve greater responsiveness in their manufacturing operations.”