Grabbing the future with Kro¨ger Greifertechnik
When large amounts of materials need to be moved, large machines are needed. This is where KRO¨GER Greifertechnik GmbH & Co. KG comes into play. The company, situated in Sonsbeck, Germany, specializes in the development and production of grabs.
KRO¨GER Greifertechnik, a part of Elbe Industrietechnik, was founded in 1962 as Kro¨ger KG. In the 1970s it first started working on grab technology. Beyond developing and producing its own grabs, KRO¨GER Greifertechnik also modernizes and repairs grabs from other manufacturers. Spare parts for its grabs are available for up to 30 years.
KRO¨GER Greifertechnik develops three different grab systems: cable grabs, motor-powered grabs and hydraulic grabs. The material capacity of these products varies from 0.6m3 to 35m3
“We offer maintenance-free models, which in turn means significant time advantages because short transit to times are hugely important today,” explains Christoph Smets, managing director. That is good news where the grabs are in use. About 60% of production ends up in port handling, and 25% is waste incineration. The remaining 15% finds application in gravel handling.
 
LATEST MODELS
KRO¨GER Greifertechnik’s latest innovations are its KMH and KZH models. Both models are hydraulic grabs, but they differ greatly in design and application.The KMH is a multiple-jaw system with four, five or six sections. It is used in ports and harbours for handling various forms of scrap, such as wood chips or shredded materials. The KZH is a two-jaw design. While it also finds use in ports and harbours, the KZH is applied to bulk loads to transfer them from ship to ship or ship to silo, for instance. Both grabs have a design that is weight optimized, yielding maximum utilization of the machine load capacity.
 
AIMING EVEN HIGHER
Globalization is boosting the need for equipment in ports, and despite efforts to recycle, waste disposal is an issue throughout the industrial nations. According to Smets the current situation provides good opportunities due to the trend towards hydraulics. He adds, “A central sector is waste disposal, an eminently important topic for Europe and Asia. Altogether 16 of these grabs
will be delivered to China this year yet to three waste incineration plants.” The 50-strong team at KRO¨GER Greifertechnik brought in €8 million last year, but that is not enough for the company. “We want
to increase this turnover significantly by expanding our export,” says Smets. And there are plans for that.
 
EXPORTS EXPANSIONS ON THE HORIZON
Currently the company exports about half of its production. It supports its customers with a sales force primarily in Central Europe: Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark and the Benelux countries. Potential customers lie further afield, however. KRO¨GER Greifertechnik sees itself in Turkey, Hungary, China and India in the future, and the way to get there is through its partners. The grab specialists make contact with new partners at trade fairs. They can be found at the Bauma in Munich, as well as at regional fairs and shows with trading partners. KRO¨GER Greifertechnik’s target groups include port operations as well as waste incineration plants and their OEMs, such as crane manufacturers and gravel quarry operators.
 
PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS
Smets says it pays for other companies to partner up with KRO¨GER Greifertechnik. “We see ourselves as partners and problem-solvers,” says Norbert Bollen, technical director and authorized representative. “Time pressure plays a large role in that. We want to increase our flexibility with respect to customer-specific specification. It is flexibility that has led the company to its success so far, and it is also the best route for further success.
“In the future we would like to be able to produce grabs without
having orders,” adds Bollen.“We also want to be able to produce for stock.” It is a goal worth grabbing for.
As a member of the corporate group of Elbe Industrietechnik, Kro¨ger can offer far more value added services beyond the supply of grabs. Together with its sister companies, FMS and Oswald Metzen, it is possible to provide multiple products and services in the field of material handling, plant engineering and industrial service.

 
 
First fully automatic handling of 4-loop FIBCs
TWO SPECIALIST WORKING TOGETHER
Nordenia Deutschland Emsdetten GmbH, a member of NORDENIA INTERNATIONAL AG, a specialist in the production of all kinds of FIBCs (flexible intermediate bulk containers) and Reis Robotics in D-Obernburg, specialist in robot technology, have developed the world’s first fully automatic 4-loop FIBC handling system, with both companies sharing the patent.
 
ALL STEPS OF BIG BAG FILLING ARE INCLUDED:
  • first, an integrated camera system focuses on the FIBC (big bag) and finds the centre of the bag;
  • the robot takes the FIBC to the filling station, connects the filling pipe, then connects all four lifting loops to the suspension and fills the bag up to a certain weight;
  • then after the closure is automatically done, the FIBC is set down on a wooden pallet and transported out of the filling line. Stacking of two FIBCs on each other is possible; and
  • in the meantime, the next FIBC is searched for by the robot and the procedure starts again.
One of the great advantages of being able to fill big bags automatically is that people are prevented from being affected by hazardous material, and sensitive products are also unaffected by contact with humans.
The first existing robot filling line was bought by Vinnolit in Gendorf Germany, a market leader in PVC.
 
NORDENIA WORLDWIDE
NORDENIA INTERNATIONAL AG is a worldwide operating manufacturer of flexible packaging, technical films, and product components. The management headquarters of NORDENIA
INTERNATIONAL AG are located in Greven in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.
COMPANY STRUCTURE
About 3,000 employees work for NORDENIA in Germany, Spain, Hungary, Russia, Poland, and outside Europe in the USA, China, Malaysia, and Australia.
The NORDENIA INTERNATIONAL AG management is headquartered in Greven, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The group-wide strategic process and product developments of NORDENIA INTERNATIONAL AG are situated in NORDENIA TECHNOLOGIES GmbH.
 
COMPANY DEVELOPMENT
Peter Mager founded the company Nordenia Kunststoffe Peter Mager KG in 1966. He had the idea of producing plastic bags instead of wire and plastic packaging for the peat industry.
The company, which started off with eight employees, has developed into one of the leading films companies in Europe, with about 3,000 employees today.
 
 
New MHL350 mobile loading machine from Terex® Fuchs
The new MHL350 loading machine from Terex® Fuchs demonstrates environmental friendliness in two respects. Firstly, its restless run on the scrap yard contributes to recycling loop efficiency, raw materials reuse, and conservation of resources. Secondly, the innovative BLUEEVOLUTION technology of the MHL350 sets new sustained benchmarks for environmental conservation and climate protection. The MHL350 is one of the first mobile loading machines worldwide that fulfils the TIER4i/IIIB requirements and is already outstanding in achieving the minimum emission values which will be required by 2014.
Despite drastically reduced emission values, the user does not need to make any compromises in machine performance. In fact, thanks to the sophisticated BLUEEVOLUTION innovations, the developers have managed to reduce the consumption and to increase the power output to full 160kW at the same time. This success results from a perfect combination of the newest filter technology, a highly-efficient turbo-loader and an extremely powerful cooling unit, which always keeps the engine at the ideal temperature. The lowest emission, the minimal consumption, a strong performance and the excellent reliability typical for Terex®
Fuchs are features which characterize the new MHL350 as a future-oriented investment object in all respects.
 
MHL350 PERFORMANCE DATA AND EQUIPMENT FEATURES:
  • New sustainability: Terex® FuchsBLUEEVOLUTION technology reduces carbon-dioxide-, nitric-oxide- and carbon dust emission to an ecologically compatible minimum
  • Capital investment set for the future: MHL350 is already starting to take responsibility towards the 2014 Emission Standard
  • Ideal for scrap yards: With a 16m working radius and an operating weight from 32 to 37.5 tonne, the machine is optimally suitable for scrap yards applications
  • Reducing emission and costs: Significantly decreased consumption to both preserve the environment and to helping reduce the operational costs
  • Noiseless power increase: A smoothly running and powerful 160kW engine together with powerful hydraulics has plenty in reserve for a quick handling of high loads
  • Proven reliability: The extremely robust steel structure and first-class machining quality of all components ensures a high loadability and long life-cycle
  • Comfortable and safe: Due to the height adjustable cabin with large windows providing a perfect overview, ergonomic and comfortable cockpit, as well as both sensitive and precise controlling devices and a clear plain-text display, the MHL350 machine provides a safe and comfortable workplace ensuring optimal productivity.
HISTORY
As early as in the 1960s, the Fuchs excavator 301 was one of the biggest-selling and most popular excavators on the market, and in 1975 the company received a patent for the newly developed hydraulic-lift and slewing cab. No wonder, then, that even today the company culture reflects a high degree of innovation.

 
 
Bigger is better — the Sennebogen 870 at Goeyvaerts in the Port of Antwerp
The Port of Antwerp is the largest port in Belgium and the second-largest port in Europe, based on the freight quantity in tonnes. A wide variety of different goods are handled here, such as fertilizers, grain, kaolin, coal and ores, coffee, iron and steel products.
Goeyvaerts R. has been active as a service provider at the Port of Antwerp for over six years, specializing in efficient high-performance handling of the delivered goods and relies on Sennebogen for this task. The company now has a fleet of 12 Sennebogen machines in different sizes and designs, which are rented, with or without a driver, to companies at the port for efficient material handling. The new Sennebogen 870 M Special, for example, is used mainly to load fertilizers via a hopper or onto a HGV with a 5m3 clamshell grab.This machine can process up to 700t of material an hour.Another new addition to the machine park is the Sennebogen 860 Mobile with 21m banana boom, the new Skylift III cab and 1.5m pylon. Sales and service partner is VCM Cramat.
“We chose the Sennebogen 870 because it allows us to unload even large ships quickly. This means that we can cover an even larger range for our customers.The extremely robust mobile undercarriage makes the device extremely flexible,” says Kevin Goeyvaerts of Goeyvaerts R.
 
SENNEBOGEN 880 ON THE HIGH SEAS
In matters relating to hydraulic engineering, La Dragaggi s.r.l. is the first port of call and one of the most important companies in Venice. With modern machines and several ships, La Dragaggi covers a broad range of uses, including all kinds of dredging work, sand and stone extraction and filling for beaches or artificial islands and much more.
The company is active throughout Italy and beyond. To reduce the time it takes to carry out the various tasks, La Dragaggi s.r.l. recently decided to replace an old crawler excavator with a new Sennebogen 880. This machine was mounted as a permanent fixture on the ship Gino Cucco. The 880 became extremely popular in the team within a short period of time. The gigantic machine offers outstanding performance, is easy to operate and highly efficient. With a 29m special equipment with straight jib provides the necessary grab depths with impressive loads. The machine is needed every day for demanding hydraulic engineering tasks and is specially designed and built to meet these challenges. The sales and service partner Cesaro Mac Import won an important customer with La Dragaggi and the company now has a highly effective solution in place in the form of the Sennebogen 880 as a ship-mounted machine.
 
Recent deliveries by FAM
CIRCULAR STOCKYARD AND SHIPLOADER
FAM supplied and commissioned a circular stockyard and a quadrant radial-type shiploader to Abu Dhabi (see picture above).
The 132m-diameter circular stockyard with a storage capacity of 140,000 tonnes is intended for sulphur handling.
The scope of delivery comprises not only design and engineering, manufacture and commissioning, but also comprehensive training of the operating and maintenance personnel on site.
 
MINERA ESPERANZA, CHILE
As part of the initial development of the Esperanza mine operated by Antofagasta Minerals, FAM supplied a long distance conveyor with a centre distance of 3,500m and a conveying capacity of 7,000tph (tonnes per hour) as well as the entire in-plant conveyor system consisting of another 27 belt conveyors in the capacity range of 500–7,000tph. See picture below.
The system is designed for copper ore and copper concentrate transport. It fully satisfies the high safety and
environmental requirements typical of opencast mining. For copper concentrate handling in Michila, the mine’s port,
FAM delivered a shiploader with a capacity of 1,000tph and a belt conveyor system.
 
VALE ONCA PUMA, BRAZIL
FAM bridge-type bucket wheel reclaimer for nickel ore in Onca Puma, Brazil.
The Vale mining group has concluded service contracts with FAM covering the continuous maintenance of the conveying systems deployed at the stockyard in Onca Puma, Brazil. A slewable stacker and two bridge-type bucket wheel reclaimers for nickel ore are at the heart of the complex stockyard equipment.
The functionally critical assemblies of the FAM stockyard equipment, specifically the bucket wheel reclaimers, were manufactured in FAM’s parent plant in Magdeburg and shipped from Germany to Brazil.
 
 
Achenbach Metalltechnik reveals new conveyer hood that opens on both sides
Achenbach Metalltechnik, with a great variety of hoods worldwide, has developed a new multifunctional conveyer hood that perfectly meets the requirements of the customers, with the ability to open on both sides simply and always reliably – the new Supertec hood (Fig. 1). In part, opening systems offered in the market require
immense assembly efforts because the sliding hinges to be arranged on the hoods have to be assigned exactly to the individual and short steel angles that support the hood, and have to be mounted separately. Up to 12 screws per hood have to be arranged during the preassembly of these systems. The new SuperTec hood eliminates these disadvantages, since generally only four screws are needed, even when the hoods can open on both sides (Fig. 2). Like almost all hood attachments from Achenbach, those of the SuperTec are also of stainless steel.
With the SuperTec the German company succeeded in combining easy assembly and high utility value. Thus, relatively low costs for the (subsequent) enclosure of belt conveyors may essentially contribute to improve the profitability of the plant due to an all-year operation independent of the weather.
The aspect of environmental protection (no material is discharged into the environment), of accidental prevention (no intervention in the running belt), and of emission reduction (in the case of plants near places of residence) have been taken into account. Many of the longest belt conveyers in the world have been enclosed with hoods from Achenbach.
 
 
 
TKF Materials Handling — connecting new and existing fertilizer production plants and export installations in Qatar via comprehensive belt conveyor systems
After a further 16 months in December 2009, Saipem placed a further order for the follow-up contract for the new plant Qafco VI with TKF. Similar to the first scope of supply, the new contract includes a portal scraper for the export material, 13 connecting belt conveyor systems and two more pipe conveyors running in parallel to the plants of QafcoV.This equipment will ensure the connection of the new fertilizer complex to the older plants Qafco III and IV which were also equipped with TKF machines and belt conveyors some years ago.
The plant Qafco V, which has been constructed during the past one and a half years, is expected to have started operating by the end of 2011. The erection of the Qafco VI plant was started at the beginning of 2011, while its commissioning is
planned to take place in the middle of 2012 The photographs of the site show impressively how the two
plants are growing together with integration of the old installations.
Qatar is a small but rich emirate. TKF BU Materials Handling has repeatedly succeeded in supplying large-sized handling plants for the industry based in this region. In the immediate vicinity to Qafco, there is in operation — among others — an impressive plant with a pipe conveyor from TKF for the import of alumina. Planning for a future extension of the fertilizer complex is in progress, and the prospects look good for TKF BU Materials Handling to be successful in winning further contracts.
One of 4 connecting pipe conveyors between Qafco fertilizer plants and port.
In July 2008, Saipem, of Italy, awarded TKF (ThyssenKrupp Fo¨rdertechnik) the contract to supply the complete materials handling complex needed in connection with the extension of the world’s largest fertilizer plant Qafco (Qatar Fertilizer Co.) in Qatar. The plant extension is carried out under the project name Qafco V.
TKF’s scope of works includes a portal scraper for the export of urea, a shiploader for bulk material and several connecting belt conveyor systems. The new fertilizer plant and the existing sections of the port of shipment are connected with each other by means of two pipe conveyors arranged parallel to one another with a total length of almost 3km.
 
 
Keep a good thing running with Kiepe
In the bulk goods industry, the brand Kiepe is well known for mature premium-quality products for monitoring and controlling conveyor systems, that are all made in Germany. Since the late 1960s, roughly 50,000km of conveyor systems all over the world have been equipped with Kiepe products. Based on decades of experience and consistent product development, the company supplies products of superior quality and reliability.
In the year 1906,Theodor Kiepe founded the company in Du¨sseldorf as a special workshop for arc lamps.
Over the course of time, the product range was consistently broadened to comprise switches, contact material and complete controllers for roller mills, switches, resistors, relays and other devices for urban transportation services.
After the Second World War, the company focused on rebuilding catenary wires, producing equipment for hauling engines, cranes and industrial installations, as well as traction equipment for trolley buses and trams.
Between 1950 and 1970, the course was set to concentrate on products for the transport and traffic industries; the world-wide distribution of Kiepe products was expanded.
Parallel to concentrating on products for public transport companies, Kiepe worked the sector of industrial equipment for conveyor engineering which became a trademark for premium quality and reliability under harsh operating conditions.
In 2003, Kiepe was taken over by Vossloh AG. This allowed the company to expand its product range to railway components. The portfolio of services now also comprises the retrofit of older vehicles to state-of-the-art technology, assembly and commissioning, and the distribution of electrical components and hybrid technology.
At takeover,‘Kiepe-Elektrik’ was renamed ‘Vossloh Kiepe GmbH’.
However, the old name does still exist. Today, Kiepe-Elektrik is an established trademark for monitoring devices for conveyor engineering – premium quality and reliability all made in Germany.
The competence and experience is based on more than 100 years of company history and the commitment of its staff at the company headquarters and production site in Du¨sseldorf, and at the company’s international affiliates.
 
SCOPE OF PRODUCTS
  • Kiepe Pull Rope Emergency Stop Switches are emergency stop devices with latching function in variants of aluminium, cast iron or glass-fibre plastic enclosures. They are operated by pulling or tearing the pull rope. Reset is carried out manually at the device. For safe pull rope installation, components for pull rope systems are available.
  • Kiepe Misalignment Switches were installed to detect misalignment of conveyor belts. Depending on the type of switch, two switching points can be provided for warning (pre-alarm) and switch-off; furthermore, latching of the roller lever after enabling is possible. As a special variant, Kiepe provides contact-free Misalignment Switches for bucket elevators.
  • Kiepe robust Limit Switches are force-fit, electromechanic switches with positive breaking contacts in solid, robust design. They are available in various enclosure variants and with different actuating levers.
  • The range of Kiepe Speed Monitoring Devices comprises units for electronic speed monitoring and speed monitors for direct coupling, as well as accessories in robust design.