- Jul 24, 2025
- Case Studies
Grab and HD Bridge Cranes for Waste Treatment Plants
Discover Grab and HD bridge cranes designed for waste treatment plants in Indonesia. Boost efficiency and streamline operations effortlessly. Explore your options today!
Material handling equipment is used in waste treatment plants for a variety of operations, including refuse intake and ash removal. Yuantai delivered a single girder grab overhead crane with an electrohydraulic grab attachment and a single girder bridge crane to a major municipal solid waste treatment facility in Java, Indonesia. This case study outlines the customer's operational needs for both crane types, the obstacles they faced prior to deployment, the crane designs we offered, performance outcomes in a variety of activities, and further crane uses.
Grab Overhead Crane Product – Customer's Crane Need
Indonesian waste treatment plants receive mixed municipal solid waste, bulky refuse, and green waste. The plant required a crane solution to automate the feeding of waste from the storage bunker to the incinerator hoppers, ensuring a steady burn rate and efficient throughput. Manual loading by front-end loaders proved inconsistent. The grab overhead crane needed to handle variable volumes of waste, including bulky plastics, textiles, and organic matter, in batches of up to 3 m³ per grab cycle. Operators required precise grab timing to avoid overfilling incinerator feed hoppers and to maintain combustion stability.
HD Bridge Crane Product – Customer's Crane Need
The same plant maintained a separate processing area for ash and slag removal after incineration. This area used conveyors and chutes, but the manual removal of hot ash into containers delayed operations and posed safety hazards. The HD single girder bridge crane was specified to lift heavy ash containers weighing up to 5 ton and to transport them to cooling stations. The crane needed high hook heights to clear conveyors and automated ash cooling lines. Smooth travel and precise positioning were essential to align containers under ash discharge points. In addition, the bridge crane had to operate in a dusty, abrasive environment with elevated ambient temperatures near incinerator units.
Challenges Before Using Yuantai's Grab Overhead Crane and HD Bridge Crane
Prior to crane installation, the waste treatment plant relied on wheel loaders and manual ash handling. Waste feeding faced three main issues. First, loader buckets varied in fill volume by up to 25%, causing inconsistent fuel feed and suboptimal combustion. Second, manual loading required two operators per shift for bucket operation and hopper alignment, increasing labor costs. Third, no automatic record of waste quantity entering the incinerator existed, complicating plant efficiency monitoring.
Ash removal operations also presented significant difficulties. Workers manually transferred hot ash into steel bins using shovels and small hoists, limiting ash removal rates to 8 ton per hour. High dust levels and heat from incinerator units led to elevated maintenance demands on manual equipment and personal protective equipment for operators. Manual methods contributed to downtime during maintenance of mobile hoists and required frequent replacement due to rapid wear in the abrasive environment.
Grab Overhead Crane Product – Detailed Design Provided by Yuantai
Yuantai's grab overhead crane is built for everyday use in municipal solid waste handling. If you're looking to buy a crane that replaces manual loaders, this unit aims to give steady automation, simple operation, and robust uptime. The design focuses on predictable feed rates, safe handling, and easy integration with plant controls.
1. Girder
The crane uses a U-shaped welded box section girder made from high-tensile steel. It spans 10 m across the bunker pit and resists bending under heavy, dynamic grab loads. That means more precise positioning and less fatigue on pins and bearings. The welded box gives high stiffness in a compact profile and is straightforward to coat and inspect for corrosion.
2. Hoist Trolley and Grab
A heavy-duty hoist trolley houses the hydraulic grab drive and the hydraulic power pack. Mounting the pack on the trolley keeps hose runs short. Short hoses cut response time and lower leak points. The grab is a four-shell orange-peel type with a 3 m³ cycle volume and hydraulic cylinders controlled by proportional valves. This setup gives you accurate open/close speeds and repeatable payloads in each cycle.
3. Drives and motion control
Bridge and trolley motions are driven by variable frequency drives. VFDs provide soft start and stop so the structure sees less shock. Smooth acceleration reduces spillage and wear in dusty, abrasive environments. You also gain finer speed control for precise positioning during feed and maintenance moves.
4. Weighing and data
Load cells are integrated into the grab suspension link for real-time weighing of each load. Weight data is logged and sent to the plant system to support mass balance and emissions reporting. This helps you avoid overloads, measure throughput accurately, and produce records needed for compliance or billing.
5. Operator controls
The crane offers cab-mounted joystick controls plus a remote pendant. Local manual controls simplify commissioning and maintenance tasks. Remote operation from the central control room lets you integrate the crane into automated feed schedules. Controls are laid out to be intuitive so operators can learn quickly and work safely.
6. Safety features
The system includes anti-collision sensors at bunker edges, end-stop buffers, and emergency-stop circuits. All electrical panels are rated IP65 to keep dust and moisture out. Those protections lower the risk of unplanned stops and reduce exposure to hazardous conditions for your crew.
7. Rail and foundations
The crane runs on hardened rails anchored to reinforced concrete footings. Rail alignment is held to ±2 mm over the full 10 m span to ensure smooth travel and accurate grab placement. Proper rail anchoring and regular alignment checks help maintain that tolerance and keep the system running without vibration or tracking issues.
HD Bridge Crane Product – Detailed Design Provided by Yuantai
Yuantai supplied a heavy-duty single-girder bridge crane built for reliable ash and slag handling. This crane is designed to work day after day in a hot, dusty environment. The design focuses on safety, uptime, and simple operation. It also makes maintenance easier for your team.:
1. Girders Configuration
The bridge uses box girders made from S355J2 steel plates. Inside the girders we added cross-bracing to resist twisting and keep the span rigid under load. The fabrication follows standard weld procedures and includes access points so your crew can inspect welds and bolts easily. This gives the structure long service life even with frequent starts and stops.
2. Span
The crane spans 18 meters and runs above the ash conveyor line. That clearance lets the hoist reach the conveyor and the discharge hoppers without interfering with other plant equipment. The span and end-carriage geometry were coordinated with the conveyor layout to avoid clashes and to keep load paths direct. This arrangement reduces swing and improves cycle speed.
3. Hoist Specifications
A high-capacity wire-rope hoist rated at 5 tonnes handles lifting. The hoist has two speed modes: a rapid-lift mode at 20 m/min for quick positioning, and a precise mode at 5 m/min for accurate placement during discharge. We designed the drum with multiple grooves so the rope seats evenly and wears more slowly, which lowers rope replacement frequency. The hoist includes limit switches and an emergency stop for immediate shutdown if needed.
4. Travel Drives
Trolley and bridge travel are driven by ABB ACS880 inverters. These drives provide smooth acceleration and deceleration and support regenerative braking. When the crane slows, energy feeds back to the local power system, which can cut site energy use in the ash area by roughly 10%. Drives also support soft start, fault logging, and easy tuning so your electricians can maintain settings with minimal downtime.
5. Custom Lifting Attachments
Attachments include custom hooks and cradle fittings sized for the standard 1.2 m³ ash bin. Hooks have secure latch locks and integrated load sensors that verify correct engagement before any lift. Cradles locate the bin precisely for safe travel and pour-out. All lifting attachments are proof-tested and supplied with traceable inspection records for your files.
6. Radio Remote Control System
We provided radio remote control to let operators run the crane from the best vantage point. Remote operation improves visibility and reduces the chance of an operator standing under suspended loads. The radio units use straightforward controls and include dead-man switches and a clear status display so you always know the crane state.
7. Integrated Safety Systems and Control Logic
Safety features are built into both hardware and controls. The system includes obstacle-detection sensors, dual-speed approach zones near hoppers, and clear local/remote mode selection. The control logic integrates with your plant DCS so ash discharge can be coordinated with conveyor speeds and incinerator cycles. Redundant limit switches, overload protection, and audible/visual alarms further reduce operational risk.
8. Protective Coatings
All structural and mechanical parts receive a high-temperature epoxy coating rated to 180 °C. The coating protects components from heat and corrosive ash. Paint selection and surface preparation meet industry practice so the finish bonds well and lasts. This reduces corrosion maintenance and keeps the crane reliable in the incinerator environment.
All structural and mechanical parts receive a high-temperature epoxy coating rated to 180 °C. The coating protects components from heat and corrosive ash. Paint selection and surface preparation meet industry practice so the finish bonds well and lasts. This reduces corrosion maintenance and keeps the crane reliable in the incinerator environment.
Performance Outcomes
Since this crane was put into operation, tens of thousands of cubic meters of waste have been handled by the grab cranes we supplied. The crane operated smoothly during the feeding process and did not make any mistakes.
The HD bridge crane has conducted over 3 000 ash transfers, moving hot ash bins from the discharge point to the cooling area. Accurate container positioning under the ash chute within ±25 mm has minimized spillage and dust dispersal, improving workplace air quality. Regenerative braking has saved 8 500 kWh in the first quarter, reducing ash handling energy costs. Maintenance records show gear wear below projected levels, confirming the effectiveness of the high‑quality rope drum and sealed gearbox design.
Combined, the two cranes have cut labor requirements in the waste feed and ash removal areas by four full‐time operators. Safety incidents related to material handling have dropped to zero, and plant throughput has increased by 25%, enabling the facility to process an additional 20 ton of waste per hour during peak periods.
Grab Overhead Crane and HD Overhead Crane
Grab Overhead Crane
The Grab Overhead Crane is a rugged solution for moving bulk materials such as scrap, coal, and ore. It comes with grab buckets for efficient handling. Control modes include automatic, semi-automatic, and manual to suit different tasks. Built-in safety devices, such as limit switches and overload protection, safeguard operators. Optional functions like load weighing and PLC control add precision and monitoring. Capacities range from 1 to 500 tons, with spans of 10.5 m to 31.5 m. Lifting speed reaches up to 39.3 m/min. Remote control options improve operator convenience. Overall, it is a flexible, safe, and efficient choice for bulk material handling.
Single Girder Overhead Crane
For buyers seeking a medium-duty material-handling solution, the Single Girder Overhead Crane fits assembly lines, maintenance shops, factories, warehouses, and processing workshops. The box-type main beam ensures durability. The lightweight design maximizes usable workspace. It installs quickly and relocates easily to match changing operations. HD (European-style) and LD (traditional-style) models are offered to balance performance and budget. Capacity ranges from 1 to 20 tons. Spans are customizable from 6 m to 28.5 m. Working classes cover A3–A5, making it a flexible and cost-effective choice.
Advantages of Yuantai's Grab Overhead Crane and HD Bridge Crane
Yuantai's crane solutions deliver several advantages for waste treatment operations. First, automation of waste feeding with the grab crane ensures uniform feed rates and supports continuous incinerator operation. Second, the HD bridge crane's regenerative drives and high‐temperature coatings sustain reliable performance in abrasive and hot ash environments, lowering lifecycle maintenance costs.
Both crane types share common advantages: modular design for rapid installation, standardized spare parts that reduce inventory, and compliance with FEM and ISO standards for crane duty classification. The use of globally sourced components—such as Siemens drives, Bosch Rexroth hydraulic valves, and SKF bearings—ensures long service intervals.
Additional Applications Beyond Waste Treatment Plants
The grab overhead crane, originally designed for rubbish incineration, can also handle bulk materials in biomass power plants, coal-fired power stations, and recycling operations. The orange peel grab design is suitable for handling scrap metal, wood chips, and biomass feedstocks. The HD bridge crane is suitable for high-temperature environments, including steel mills for slag removal, cement plants for clinker transfer, and foundries for sand and molten metal ladle handling.
In ports and terminals, grab overhead cranes facilitate bulk cargo loading and unloading, particularly for scrap steel, logs, and ores. The same design can support container handling when fitted with spreader beam attachments. The robust bridge crane also serves in shipyards for block assembly and hull panel placement under demanding ambient conditions.
