AUTHORISED agents in sub-Saharan Africa are delivering a string of orders to overhead crane and hoist manufacturer Condra, among them an unpack-and-go machine whose shipping containers will become the crane’s gantry.
Container-based crane innovation: Lnyx Supply and Services
The design of this 5-ton double-girder crane, a one-off currently under manufacture for mine maintenance, makes use of the two 12-metre delivery containers as gantry supports. After hoist, crab, girders, end-carriages and other components have been unpacked for assembly, an installation team will position the containers exactly 9,8 metres apart, then bolt rails to their tops to form the gantry. A roof will weather-proof the resulting 120 m² workshop.
The company behind this container crane is Lynx Supply and Services, Condra’s authorised agent in Tanzania.
Lynx recently placed additional orders on Condra for wheel blocks, miscellaneous spare parts and a separate 10-ton, 10-metre-span single-girder gantry crane for an unnamed mining house. Lynx will carry out installation and commissioning of both overhead cranes.
Ghana portal crane overcomes load challenges with smart design
Other recent orders from sub-Saharan Africa include a 10-ton portal crane for a maintenance application in Ghana. The design of this crane overcomes floor loading limitations by spreading the machine mass across multiple nylon-treaded wheels at the base of the portal’s supporting legs.
The Ghanaian portal machine is linked to two further crane orders from the same customer, one of them for installation in Saudi Arabia. There are also enquiries from Chile and Peru, where Condra is reestablishing agency relationships adversely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Condra looks to further expand it’s sub-Saharan agent network
Besides Lynx Supply and Services, Condra’s sub-Saharan agent network includes Integrated Engineering Services in Zambia, Integrated Engineering Services in the DRC, Namcranes in Namibia and KL Cranes in Botswana. Management is identifying additional potential agents in Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya.
Reliable after-sales support with rapid response minimises crane downtime
A Condra spokesman claimed that, while many crane companies offer aggressive pricing into Africa, none can match Condra’s level of technical service and after-sales support. The spokesman was emphatic that service support is vital to machine up-time.
“Service proximity and availability must be carefully considered alongside purchase price if losses due to downtime are not to negate and even exceed the initial savings of an attractive price,” said the spokesman.
“Condra has long and strong relationships with agents across sub-Saharan Africa to deliver the necessary rapid response time on service calls.
“Our Johannesburg spares division will deliver parts anywhere in Africa in five days or less, minimising production losses due to crane downtime.
“In South Africa we deliver in a maximum of 48 hours.” The spokesman emphasised that it is production downtime that costs the customer money, not the crane’s purchase price.
“You can save money by buying a crane at a more competitive price, but the savings on the day of purchase will be lost many times over in downtime if a spare part has to come from overseas.”
Condra’s robust cranes withstand harsh environments
The spokesman explained that a second factor related to costly downtime is the degree to which the crane may be described as robust, which is important because of the heavy-handed nature of many operators, and the harsh operating environments often found in Africa.
Condra claims a design philosophy focused on robust strength and durability, the success of which is reflected in a solid reputation for mechanical reliability under corrosive and abrasive environments, and under wide extremes of temperature, humidity and altitude.
Visit Condra’s website: www.condra.co.za
