Chinese auto leader SAIC optimises Konecranes smart cranes

China’s largest automotive manufacturer, SAIC Motor, has optimised the safety, reliability and efficiency of its new Nanjing Maxus factory by installing two new Konecranes SMARTON open winch cranes.

SAIC Maxus (a wholly owned subsidiary of SAIC Motor) has installed a 50t/20t double-hook SMARTON crane and a 50t single-hook SMARTON crane in their new Nanjing facility’s stamping area to safely and efficiently move moulds of automotive component parts.

The new cranes utilise Konecranes’ advanced TRUCONNECT^® remote monitoring technology to accurately record and analyse crane data in real-time. The data, which can be viewed remotely, helps to optimise crane usage and maintenance programmes, and can identify early warning signs before a major fault or problem occurs, saving significant cost and downtime.

The cranes will be essential in the manufacturing of new models that respond to trends in China and globally, such as larger vehicles as China’s one-child policy is lifted and the population increases, as well as new energy vehicles in response to China’s strong sustainability and green energy initiatives.

SAIC Maxus’ Biomimetic Intelligent Pure Electric SUV Concept Car – recently debuted at the Beijing Auto Show – is one of many of the company’s new-age vehicle innovations

Currently ranked 36th on the Fortune Global 500 List, SAIC Motor is China’s largest automotive design and manufacturing company, with production of almost seven million cars in 2017. SAIC Motor is also China’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles.

With joint-ventures across several household automotive names such as General Motors and Volkswagen, safety and quality assurance are some of the company’s top priorities.

Mr Wang Ying, ME Chief Engineer & SV51 Project Director of SAIC MAXUS Automotive Co., Ltd., says, “For SAIC Motor, safety, quality and efficiency mean everything.”

“Through our experience at our SAIC’s plant in Shanghai, we have a deep understanding of how important safe and reliable cranes are to manufacturing processes. Even a single incident means dies may break down, and more significantly, people may get hurt. That’s why we rely on Konecranes to provide us with cranes with first-class safety, efficiency and reliability,” he said.

“The new plant is strategically important for SAIC Motor and we had challenging delivery times. Konecranes provided us with outstanding support throughout the entire process and found innovative solutions to optimise the crane production process, shorten lead times and help us meet our tight deadlines.”

“Throughout the design, installation and commissioning process, the Konecranes team provided us with professional, prompt and highly experienced service, which was key to us keeping the whole project on schedule.”

Pictured above: Mr Wang Ying, ME Chief Engineer & SV51 Project Director of SAIC MAXUS Automotive Co., Ltd., and Mr Yuan Hong Shuai, Operation Director, IC NEA Konecranes

Changing demographics

China’s recent changes to child-limitation policies, which allow citizens to have two or more children, are beginning to affect the automotive market, with a higher demand for larger vehicles with more seats, says Mr Wang.

“Our strategic department identified a trend towards vehicles with five or more seats. In response to this trend, our current projects are focusing on two models: the multipurpose vehicle (MPV), which is a five-seater, and the SUV, which is a seven-seater. The MPV will start production at the end of this year, and the SUV will begin production in June 2019. And we will require safe and reliable new Konecranes units cranes to meet those demands,” he said.

“We are looking forward to working with Konecranes as the demand for larger cars in China increases. Our shared focus on safety makes our relationship with Konecranes one that is highly valuable over the long term.”

New Energy Vehicles

In addition to producing large numbers of petrol and diesel vehicles, SAIC is leading the market in China for ‘new energy’ vehicles – a term used to describe battery electric and plug-in hybrid models – which have seen a surge in recent years.

“We are the biggest new energy automotive company in China. This year, we sold approximately 200,000 hybrid electric vehicles. China is ranked third in the new energy market across the world, and we’ve seen an increase of 30-40% in sales of these vehicles,” says Mr Wang.

“Nowadays, people are more conscious about having a greener, healthier world, and our government is sharply focused on preserving our clean air and water. Forward-thinking companies like SAIC are conscious of the need to shift their manufacturing to greener, more sustainable methods,” he said.

Real-time remote monitoring

The SMARTON cranes at SAIC MAXUS Nanjing manufacturing plant use Konecranes’ TRUCONNECT^® technology to accurately predict the most suitable and timely maintenance for optimum service, as well as spot impending production risks and accident hazards.

TRUCONNECT^® technology harnesses in a user-friendly way the power of the industrial internet, the heart of which is based on a series of machinery sensors working together to gather and analyse data for specific purposes. By operating in this way, they can enable efficiencies that were unimaginable just a short time ago.

TRUCONNECT’s sensors collect data – such as running time, motor starts, work cycles and emergency stops. They also monitor vital components such as brakes and inverters, and report valuable data back to a centralised point where a Konecranes expert can analyse trends and look for patterns.

The gathered data, and other crane usage information, is available on a user-friendly portal, yourKONECRANES.com, which gives real-time browser-based access to individual customers’ equipment data and maintenance history. yourKONECRANES.com links usage data, maintenance data and asset details, giving a transparent and complete view of events and activities of a crane over any selected time interval. Aggregated data can be viewed, analysed and shared quickly, for a single asset or an entire fleet.

Industry 4.0 and Smart Features

The automotive sector is rapidly advancing, with changes in technologies and industry 4.0 paving the way for smarter and more efficient vehicles around the world.

Crane operators at SAIC Maxus can control the SMARTON cranes remotely through Konecranes’ intuitive controls. This allows the operator to be positioned in the safest possible position when operating the crane.

Konecranes has put decades of experience into its software-based Smart Features, which it says bring tangible benefits to lifting tasks in a broad range of industries globally.

“Automatic features can open more opportunities for Konecranes in the near future,” says Mr Wang.

“We use Konecranes for production-critical tasks such as die transfer and material transfer. The cranes are reliable and help to minimise downtime. But Industry 4.0 is the way of the future, and we want to be at the forefront of automation.”

“We like the smart features such as the sway control, protected areas and synchronisation of hoisting, as it gives us total control over our material handling and helps us to improve operator safety and reduce load cycle times.”

“Paving the way to becoming a technology-focused company is very important to us. And now that manufacturing is very strong in China, we have the technical means to further train our employees to become experts in this area.”

SMARTON Cranes

The Konecranes SMARTON is a compact open winch electric overhead crane developed specifically for assembly and maintenance use, where accurate and smooth movements are required.

It uses new developments in mechanical and electrical engineering, combined with the latest in automation. Ideally suited to putting things together, moving heavy, yet fragile objects, or performing maintenance, each SMARTON is especially configured for its particular operation conditions, providing a tough and easily adaptable crane for a huge range of lifting requirements.

Capable of lifting up to 250 tons with one trolley and up to 500 tons with two trolleys, its real strength lies in its lifting intelligence. The SMARTON open winch crane is designed for efficient and safe operations without compromise.

Safety and ergonomics are built right into the controls of the SMARTON crane, with radio controllers, computer tablets, the remote operation station and the crane management system, are all designed to help control and monitor the crane.