- 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.
Customer Needs for Waste Handling and Ash Removal Crane
In this Indonesian waste treatment plant, the customer required two different crane solutions to support continuous and safe operation. For waste feeding, they needed a grab overhead crane to handle mixed municipal solid waste, including bulky plastics, textiles, and organic materials. The goal was to move waste from the storage bunker to the incinerator hopper in a stable and controlled way. Manual loading with front-end loaders was not consistent, so the crane had to manage variable waste volumes and complete each grab cycle at around 3 m³. At the same time, operators needed precise control to avoid overfilling and to maintain a steady combustion process. For ash handling, the customer required a bridge crane to lift and move hot ash containers weighing up to 5 tons. This crane had to work above conveyors and cooling systems, so sufficient lifting height and smooth travel were essential. It also needed accurate positioning to align containers under discharge points. Because the environment includes high temperatures, dust, and abrasive materials, the crane design had to ensure durability, stable performance, and safe operation under harsh working conditions.
Challenges Before Using Yuantai's Grab Overhead Crane and HD Bridge Crane
Before installing the grab overhead crane and HD bridge crane, the waste treatment plant relied on wheel loaders and manual handling for both waste feeding and ash removal. This approach created clear limits in efficiency, consistency, and safety. The plant found it difficult to keep a stable feeding rhythm for the incinerator. At the same time, ash handling could not keep up with daily processing needs.
1. Waste Feeding Challenges
The plant faced some problems during the waste feeding process. First of all, the bucket feed of the wheel loader is very unstable, different batches of feed are different, and sometimes the gap is too large resulting in unstable fuel input, making it difficult to maintain stable combustion. On top of that, the process requires at least two people to work in tandem, which adds to the labor costs.
2. Ash Removal Challenges
Ash handling also presented serious difficulties. Workers manually transferred hot ash into steel bins using shovels and small hoists. This limited the removal rate to about 8 tons per hour, which slowed down operations. The working environment was harsh, with high temperatures and heavy dust. This put pressure on both workers and equipment. Manual hoists required frequent maintenance and often experienced breakdowns, leading to downtime. In addition, the abrasive conditions caused rapid wear on tools and protective equipment, increasing replacement costs and reducing overall reliability.
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 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.
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. Maintenance records show gear wear below projected levels, confirming the effectiveness of the high‑quality rope drum and sealed gearbox design.
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.
