£1.1m crane order for Warrington firm

MERSEYSIDE shipyard Cammell Laird has placed a £1.1m order with the Warrington office of Konecranes to upgrade equipment in its massive shipbuilding hall.

The yard is undertaking extensive work to prepare for its £44m three-year contract to build the flight decks on the future aircraft carrier.

The cranes in its shipbuilding hall were manufactured by Morris Material Handling, now part of Konecranes, and were installed in 1976. Each crane is fitted with three hoists and has a maximum capacity of 130 tons.

James Bow from Konecranes said the company was enjoying working again with Cammell Laird.

“We are delighted to have teamed up with Cammell Laird on this project, which will bring its cranes up to modern day standards on a tight 16-week schedule,” he said.

“For this project Konecranes offered a proven solution to convert the cranes from DC to AC control, while also installing new frequency inverters, load indicators, anti-collision and radio control systems. This investment will not only provide Cammell Laird with reliable cranes able to support today’s production needs, but also give significant safety benefits.”

Cammell Laird chief executive John Syvret said: “It is terrific to be able to source equipment and expertise for our crane modernisation here in the North West. The contract will see a total electrical upgrade of all overhead crane equipment in the shipbuilding hall, bringing it bang up to date with the latest technology.”