( Virtual Showroom ) Condra is to manufacture a second overhead crane for Tongaat Hulett’s Maidstone sugar mill, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The order is for a 23-metre-span double‑girder electric overhead travelling crane with 25-ton main hoist and 8-ton auxiliary, to work in conjunction with the existing millhouse crane and a 10-ton Condra crane commissioned in the bagasse store in March 2024.

Maidstone is one of four South African sugar mills operated by Tongaat Hulett, a leading agriculture and agri-processing company.

In the bagasse store, the 10-ton crane is already used to move and position conveyors feeding fibrous raw residue (bagasse) into Maidstone’s secondary processing system. Left over as waste after harvesting juice from the sugarcane, bagasse is used after processing as a biofuel, and in the manufacture of paper pulp and building materials.

The new 25/8-ton crane will help operate and maintain the mill house.

Condra was able to meet Tongaat Hulett’s technical requirements for Maidstone’s new crane because of modular products that facilitate manufacture of a customised lifting solution; this instead of having to shoehorn a standard machine – often imported – into the application, an approach frequently followed by rival firms.

Such modular design comes very close to the theoretical ideal: all elements of the crane – hoist, crab, end-carriages, drives and controls – are themselves assembled from a wide array of component parts. Only the crane girders are manufactured from scratch.

For Tongaat Hulett’s new mill house crane, Condra precisely tailored its design to match the specification, paying particular attention to combinations of rope, drum and pulley to achieve the necessary hoist reeving arrangements for accurate load positioning over the considerable lifting heights of 12 metres on the main hoist, and 12,2 metres on the auxiliary.

A striking feature will be the airconditioned control cabin with docking station for the remote control instead of the more usual hard-wired control panel. This will allow the operator to use the same control unit for remote operation from the floor, from overlooking office, or docked within the cabin as an integral part of the cabin’s dashboard.

There will be digital read-outs from hoist loadcells, while an independent pendant control will provide back-up and additional flexibility.

An ultrasonic anti-collision system will reliably prevent accidental contact with the existing mill house crane that will remain in the bay.

Other features include frequency drives on the long travel, cross travels and hoists, full-length walkways with fiberglass grating on both sides of the crane, IP65 brakes, IP65 panels, stainless steel fasteners, floodlights, safety lights and siren, full seam welds with rounded edges, lifting lugs and a special paint finish.

Besides the installed 10-ton crane and 25/8-ton crane on order, Condra has previously delivered a monorail hoist and crawl to Tongaat Hulett’s Zimbabwe mill.

Delivery of the new 25/8-tonner is scheduled for April 2025, with installation and commissioning to be executed by authorised agent Natal Cranes & Hoists.