Portal cranes for Ghana and Saudi Arabia
MINING engineering company FL Smidth (FLS) has expanded its workshop capabilities with new portal cranes in Ghana and Saudi Arabia, supplied by Johannesburg-based manufacturer Condra.
In Ghana, FLS has decommissioned a 10-ton Condra portal crane in Mozambique and relocated it to its workshop in Accra. This unit will be joined by two newly built 10-ton cranes of similar design and capacity. Meanwhile, FLS Saudi Arabia has taken delivery of two 15-ton portal cranes for its workshop in Dammam.
The four cranes, completed by Condra and dispatched in mid-August, fulfilled orders placed in March by FLS’s Sub-Saharan and West Africa Procurement Service. Condra and FLS enjoy a long-standing partnership, built on reliable, robust cranes backed by efficient service and maintenance across Africa and the Middle East.
Portal cranes for Ghana
The three cranes destined for Accra will be used for workshop maintenance. To meet FLS requirements, Condra customised the end-carriages with spaced nylon-treaded wheels, ensuring floor loading does not exceed 5 000 kg.
The Mozambique crane will be modified upon arrival to match the twin 10-ton machines. To maximise floor space and lifting height within the workshop constraints, Condra deployed Titan SH short-headroom hoists and vertically mounted geared drives. This design reduced the required floorspace by half compared to conventional mounts.
Additional features include digital loadcell hoist readouts, variable-speed drives on long travels, and pendant backup for remote control.
Portal cranes for Saudi Arabia
The two 15-ton cranes for Dammam share a similar configuration but run on conventional steel wheels and rails. Their design overcame strict space limitations – just 8.3 metres across by 5.4 metres high – by using Titan SH hoists.
These cranes also include Condra’s signature features, but with two-speed drives instead of variable-speed. Assembly and transport were optimised using 3D modelling software, allowing each order to ship in just two containers.
Titan SH hoist advantages
Condra’s Titan SH hoists are engineered to maximise factory space by reducing headroom requirements. Standard features include automatic rope tensioning, smoother travel, built-in load limiters, universal carriage design, and direct drives.
Installation and commissioning of the FLS cranes in Accra and Dammam are scheduled for late September, further strengthening FLS’s operational capacity in West Africa and the Middle East.
