BB Cranes has completed the installation and commissioning of five overhead cranes at a new agricultural machinery factory in Blackheath, Cape Town. The project is set to significantly improve the production speed and efficiency of grain planters manufactured under the Syncro brand.
The cranes, custom-built at BB Cranes’ facility in Rivergate Industrial Park, were ordered as part of a workflow re-engineering initiative aimed at reducing assembly time and enhancing workplace safety.
According to Jan Nel, manager at BB Cranes, the new system allows multiple planters to be assembled simultaneously without the need to move the cranes. “Each of the two double-girder cranes is fitted with six independently operated hoists. That’s twelve hoists in total, allowing us to streamline the entire assembly process,” he said.
Overhead cranes revolutionize Assembly workflow
Previously, Rovic’s planter production relied on forklifts and fixed gantries to move components to individual assembly points. The new process positions cranes over several assembly rows on the factory floor, enabling components such as chassis and planting units to be delivered precisely where needed using the hoists.
Each crane includes two 3.2-ton crab-mounted hoists for lifting chassis components and four 1-ton underslung hoists—two on each girder—for handling the planting units. With a wider-than-normal 2.5-metre girder spacing, the system allows precise positioning of components without moving the cranes themselves.
 Hoist crane system optimizes component handling
All hoists are equipped with Optidrive variable-speed drives supplied by iTek, providing smooth and efficient operation.
A third overhead crane—a 20-ton unit—has been installed to transport completed planters out of the factory, while two additional 2-ton single-girder cranes bring the total number of BB Cranes units on site to five.
Crane-driven production capacity Surge meets global
The streamlined system eliminates factory congestion, improves safety, and is expected to significantly increase production capacity to meet global demand for Rovic’s Syncro-branded agricultural machinery. These include grain planters, mist blowers, spreaders, and tillage equipment.
BB Cranes is a division of South African crane and hoist manufacturer Condra.
