Thirteen ABUS Overhead Travelling Cranes at Harburg-Freudenberger Belišće Ltd, Croatia

The German company Harburg-Freudenberger Group is a manufacturer of special machines for the rubber, tyre and edible oil industry on the global market. One of the three business units is a unit named HF TireTech Group. They developed the first machines for the rubber industry more than 160 years ago. Today, they are a global leader in the pioneering of technical developments for systems and machinery for the manufacture of tyres and technical rubber goods.

One important member of the HF TireTech Group is the Croatian daughter‐company Harburg-Freudenberger Belišće Ltd which produces hydraulic presses for the vulcanisation of car tyres as well as devices for cooling the tyres after vulcanisation. The company use state‐of‐the‐art technical solutions in their final products continuously improving the implementation of contemporary technical and organisational achievements. As a result of this strategy, Harburg- Freudenberger Belišće have become one of the best Croatian companies in this branch enjoying continuous growth.

Over the past year the company has started and completed new investments which significantly enhance its production capabilities: they built a huge, modern logistics centre and built new production halls that tripled the space for the final assembly. The three existing production halls have been extended on both sides and new crane runways have been connected to those already existing.

The company HOISTEC Ltd (www.hoistec.hr), which is the Croatian partner of ABUS Kransysteme GmbH, delivered a total of 13 ABUS electric overhead travelling cranes for this project. These cranes are employed in the final assembly of the products. Additionally, HOISTEC undertook the demanding job of installing the crane runway on a concrete base almost 700 meters long.

The ABUS cranes delivered are characterised by a variety of capacities and features: 10 of them are single girder overhead travelling cranes type ELK with welded box girders, 2 of them are single girder overhead travelling cranes type ELV with rolled section girders. The smallest crane has a capacity of 2 t with a span of 13 m; the biggest crane is a double girder EOT crane type ZLK with a load capacity of 10 t and a span of 16 m. The cranes are designed in the so-called stooled‐up version in order to use the available lifting height to a maximum. The double girder EOT crane is also equipped with a maintenance platform along the main girder of the crane.

As the new ABUS overhead travelling cranes are working on the same crane runways as the existing cranes of other manufacturers, all ABUS cranes are equipped with light barriers to protect them against collision. In order to achieve full protection, the light barriers have been added to the existing cranes as well. All cranes, new and existing, are powered by the same electrical source. The power is supplied via a conductor system with a rated output of 125 A.
Hoists and cranes have to meet severe requirements resulting from 3-shift operation. Therefore they have been classified in high drive groups in accordance with the FEM classification.

All cranes are equipped with radio remote control systems ABURemote with backup transmitters. The ABURemote communicates with the crane automatically using free radio channels which makes it extremely interference-resistant.
The cranes are equipped with ABULiner frequency converters for cross and long‐travelling in order to reduce the load swing. The ABULiner enables smooth acceleration and braking. Dynamic forces are significantly reduced and the positioning of the load is precise.

Evidently, the thirteen ABUS overhead travelling cranes delivered are technically advanced thus satisfying the high standards of the Harburg-Freudenberger Belišće Ltd.

The company Harburg-Freudenberger Belišće is now operating a total of 25 ABUS overhead travelling cranes as well as several ABUS pillar jib cranes, thus becoming the single largest customer in Croatia. HOISTEC continues to be focused on the requirements of this customer as to transport and internal logistics hoping to establish a long-term cooperation.