Kalmar to refurbish and modernise an overhead crane for Aperam steel mill in Belgium

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has started the upgrade and refurbishment of the overhead crane at the steel mill of the Aperam Stainless steel plant in Genk, Belgium. The scope includes design, construction, delivery and erection of all the materials for the project, according to the standards and regulations for hoisting liquid steel. The project, which started in November 2014 with design engineering, was booked in Kalmar's fourth quarter 2014 order intake, and is set to be completed in the third quarter of 2015. 

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Aperam, who currently process over 2.5 million tonnes of flat stainless steel in Europe and Brazil, and have operations in more than 40 countries, selected Kalmar to modernise their 40 year old Paul Würth casting crane, with the capacity of 210 tonnes, at their Genk site in Belgium. The project involves renewing the existing trolley and the lateral driving mechanism of the overhead crane, including new electrical installation, and will be a complete turnkey solution. 

Danny Bielen, Project Manager of Aperam, "The trolley and the electrical system of the crane had reached the end of their technical lifetime. We were looking for a partner who could provide a detailed specification, and the ability to demonstrate a strong technical solution. Additionally, Kalmar's excellent project management skills were another important selection criterion." 

"We are very happy to work with Aperam on a project like this", says Jelle van der Waal, Director, Crane Upgrades at Kalmar EMEA North. "We specialise in turnkey crane upgrade projects and have a proven track record working with different customer segments. Our competence is based on highly professional in-house engineering and project management. When the project is completed, Aperam will be able to enjoy the extended lifetime of the crane for many years to come."