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WinWinD

Offering specialized products and services for wind turbine applications.

Hamina, FINLAND, WinWinD assembly plant

When WinWinD planned and constructed a new wind turbine plant, Konecranes was given a unique opportunity to be a part of implementing the standard in this new type of facility.

In the European and Asian markets, one- and three-megawatt wind turbines are manufactured and supplied by WinWinD.  In October 2009, the Hamina, Finland, the WinWinD assembly plant opened for operation, the first facility of its kind in Finland.  The plant produces nacelles and hubs for three-megawatt WWD-3 wind turbines for the European market.  In an India plant, WinWinD manufactures one-megawatt turbines for the Asian market region. Konecranes worked together with WinWinD to equip both plants:  Hamina and India.

160 wind turbines/year are produced when the Hamina plant is running at maximum capacity. However, it will be possible to double the plant’s production capacity by 2011. Being able to increase production is vital because renewable energy production is becoming increasingly in demand.

When handling heavy and fragile loads, it is crucial that the equipment be both reliable and safe.  The lifts present a legitimate personnel and materials safety concern because the wind turbine nacelle weighs in at about 130 tons and the hub at about 30 tons.  That is why, when dealing with the Hamina plant’s lifting solutions, the highest priority is safety.
It is important that the lifting equipment be equipped with a lifting capacity that is extremely effective because of the magnitude of the lifts.  The accuracy of the lifts is the most crucial factor of the lifting because of the heavy loads and the limited workspace area.

The Solution

Konecranes provided the eight standard industrial-duty cranes to the Hamina plant.  In addition, nearly thirty Konecranes wall console cranes and wall jib cranes were installed, which utilize the CXT electric wire rope hoist technology.

To achieve the most accurate and the smoothest control possible, and also to incorporate the use of the crane, the swiveling motion of the wall jib cranes were equipped with inverter control.  The standard bridge cranes with CXT wire rope hoists have capacities of 20, 25, 30 and 55 tons, and the plant was provided with a high-capacity SM crane housing a lifting capacity of 130 tons to be used when working with the heaviest lifts.  To speed up the lift when the hook is empty or carrying a small load, the crane comes equipped with the ESR feature (Extended Speed Range).

All of the cranes feature wire rope hoists. The remote control system was selected as the primary control method, which helps the crane operators perform their job in the quickest and safest means possible, due to the enormous scope of the lifts and lifted objects.

During the design phase of the building, Konecranes offered its extensive expertise to advise the layout of the facility.  Konecranes recommened that the the Hamina plant construct has three equally-sized bays, so that the customer can efficiently switch cranes between bays if more lifting capacity is needed in another location.

Konecranes has the ability to provide large lifting capacity solutions, and this was the reason that WinWinD chose Konecranes as the collaborating partner in this project.  WinWinD also chose Konecranes’ because of their history and globally renowned reputation as lifting equipment’s leading manufacturer.

The Benefits

Konecranes entered the project early in the planning process of the plant.  WinWinD had defined the quantity of cranes and the required capacities.  Konecranes and WinWinD worked together to create the complete solution for the facility.  In addition to capacity and safety, WinWinD’s most important needs were:

  • Lifting speeds
  • A maximum free space under the crane
  • Minimum approach dimensions horizontally.

These are standard values with Konecranes products.

The plant could be built as compactly and functional as possible by utilizing Konecranes’ lifting solutions.  WinWinD saved in construction costs because of the cost-effective use of space, and additionally in the upkeep of the facility.  Part of the design of the plant layout was the flexibility of the production line can be placed anywhere, since the workstations were designed with the cranes in mind.  As the industry develops and as the needs of WinWinD evolve, the flexibility of the layout will continue to be beneficial.

The production workers have been very happy with the implementation of the bridge crane with its stepless lifting motion.  The unique motion enables smooth lifts and allows controlled descents to be performed at faster speeds.  The operator is able to focus his attention on load positioning, and so the safety of the work environment is greatly improved.

The Future

Streamlining the amount of time in the production processes will become vital as production increases. To speed up the process, the current cranes can easily be upgraded with new features.

The most time-consuming phase in the lifting process is manual positioning, especially in plants where the lifts are very precise, such as in the WinWinD plant in Hamina.  Konecranes products that feature positioning control, which works to position a load on a predefined place, can result in a significant time savings.

The operator also does not have to worry about manually preventing swaying because of the unique Sway Control feature. Instead, the operator can focus on completing the current task efficiently and quickly.

Many more Konecranes’ Smart Solutions are available, including:

  • Shock Load Control
  • Positioning
  • E.g. Inching
  • Sway Control

The Customer’s Assessment

“The project was well planned and proceeded flexibly. There were no problems with the schedules,” according to Plant Manager Kalevi Mattila.  “Since our plant is the first wind turbine plant in Finland, this project set the standard for the plant type. If we were starting the project now, we would choose the same solutions,” he asserts.

“The movements are smooth with the inverter controlled crane,” declares crane operator Kimmo Suurnäkki about his experiences with using the cranes. Niko Reinikainen also appreciates the smooth start and stop of movements. “The Konecranes cranes have worked for us,” he concludes.

This publication is for general informational purposes only. Konecranes reserves the right at any time, without notice, to alter or discontinue the products and/or specifications referenced herein. This publication creates no warranty on the part of Konecranes, express or implied, including but not limited to any implied warranty or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.