In the picture:Konecranes staff at the 2016 Steel Convention. From left to right, Daniel McCarney (Operations Manager), Peter Monaghan (National Industrial Equipment Sales Manager), James Dowe (Managing Director, Australia, New Zealand and Philippines) and Steve Gagnuss (Head of APAC Region).

Global crane manufacturer and service leader Konecranes is extending its technology and leadership involvement in the steel industry by being a major sponsor of the Australian Steel Convention for the 5th year in a row.

At this year’s convention, hosted in Melbourne CBD in Konecranes, which employs over 12,000 people across 600 locations in 48 countries, demonstrated its UNITON crane. UNITON is particularly applicable to the steel industry and related uses such as materials handling, manufacturing and maintenance.

A strong focus this year was on advanced technologies such as SMART features, lifecycle care through yourKONECRANES and the new Konecranes parts store, all of which are designed to provide a greater level of safety, reliability and information that can help to better plan maintenance and service schedules.

“Our continued support of this convention provides us with a valuable opportunity to discuss the steel industry with other experts and help shape its future into one that is safe, efficient and reliable,” said Konecranes Managing Director, Australia, New Zealand and Philippines, Mr James Dowe.

Mr Dowe  also attended Konecranes’ booth at the convention, along with Konecranes Head of APAC Region, Mr Steve Gagnuss, National Industrial Equipment Sales Manager, Mr Peter Monaghan and Operations Manager, Mr Daniel Mccarney in order to answer any questions about Konecranes technologies or the steel industry in general.

“Our company has a strong ethos of safety, which is vital to the steel industry. I’ve had some insightful conversations about the future of the steel industry at past conferences, and I’d invite anyone who is interested in cranes for the steel industry to visit our booth and chat to me and my team about the latest advanced technologies for the steel industry,” said Mr Dowe.

“One of our biggest focuses over the past 12 months has been on improving the user experience when deciding on, ordering and receiving a crane, part or service. Our lifecycle care campaign can add years to the overall life of valuable plant and identify problems before they occur,” he said.

UNITON is an excellent all-around crane with good fundamentals and performance. It provides the duty class, hoisting speeds and trolley traversing speeds you need and full compliance with your safety requirements. UNITON has a number of distinct advantages for steel and related industries, including:

• Maintenance-friendly trolley
• Range of operator interfaces
• Extended Speed Range as option
• Built for the customer’s environment

Konecranes’ new yourKONECRANES portal yourKONECRANES customer portal provides direct access to maintenance data –including planned inspections, service and reports – in an easy-to-access and responsive web interface.

Smart features are available on most cranes, and make operations safer and more productive using advanced technologies. Examples include:

• Sway Control
• Target Positioning
• Shock Load Control
• Safety Zoning
• Regenerative Drive Systems

All these features are designed to integrate Konecranes’ equipment with customers’ overall handling systems. The simple objective is to increase productivity, reduce manpower and improve energy saving and environmental targets

Konecranes recently launched an intuitive new crane parts store to Australasia, making it easier for customers to find the parts they need, check availabilities and track orders. In addition to the full suite of Konecranes parts, the store will also offer replacement parts for all makes and models of crane, regardless of the original manufacturer.