Providing Powerful Cranes to Thai Power Plant

In 2017, MHE-Demag successfully negotiated an order to produce cranes for a new power plant in Thailand. The proposition for the project was a unique one, as the customer required two gigantic double girder cranes, weighing 250t each with a nearly 44m span, in addition to two smaller sibling cranes weighing 250t each with a 15m span.

On top of the gigantic crane specifications, the customer required the cranes to be produced outside of Thailand. Although this posed a rather complicated logistic challenge, MHE-Demag decided to push forth with their commitment to the customer and delivered a solution that would address the customer’s needs by taking ownership and fulfilling what was promised.

Fortunately, the new MHE-Demag manufacturing facility in Bukit Raja, Malaysia was capable of building cranes of up to 50m span, making it the perfect location to manufacture the cranes according to the customer’s requirements. Its location in Malaysia also met the second requirement of the cranes having to be produced outside of Thailand.

Given the complexity of the cranes and short timeframe, the MHE-Demag Malaysia team knew they had to improvise their working processes instead of relying on their conventional crane fabrication schedule. Thus, they came up with a straightforward, yet ingenious solution: the design and fabrication of the cranes were to happen parallel to each other.

This was a challenge to the team on many levels and required airtight coordination between the production, design and fabrication teams. It was also important that the project was executed according to contract specifications and met the customer’s expectations while minimising the cost to the company and the customer.

Once the four cranes were ready, transporting them from the Bukit Raja factory in Malaysia to the Laem Chabang port in Thailand was yet another challenge, due to the volume and the customer’s shipping requirements. In order to source the right packing and freight forwarder for the job, the team reached out to all departments, from sales to purchasing, to shipping, materials and project for recommendations. From there, the team was able to identify a suitable packer and transporter for the job, and the cranes were sent to the team in Thailand successfully. There, the local team took on the responsibility of supervising the installation and commission process.

MHE-Demag Regional Director, Cranes & Components/ Technical, Tarik Alkhalil shared: “In the end, all our hard work paid off and we created a new milestone. When those gigantic cranes were ready to leave our manufacturing plant, it was a roller coaster of emotions – it was like taking your child to school for the first time. You are happy that your child has grown up, yet you feel heavy-hearted to let go of their hand. Everyone from the design department to project management and production floor played a critical role in the making of these masterpieces over the past four months.”

MHE-Demag is committed to providing cranes to industries such as power plants, aviation and transportation across the region and to date, has supplied 26,000 cranes over the course of 48 years. 

Request A Quote +