Efficient wastewater treatment is a challenging task. It usually takes several years for a treatment plant to be designed and completed to the highest standards. The plants are an important part of a municipality's drinking water production and must therefore always comply with the latest environmental regulations.

Water treatment plant in Finland
The Swedish company Skanska is a pioneer in the development and implementation of water treatment plants. The construction group operates primarily in North America and Northern Europe, where it recently completed a project in Finland.

Little space and low ceilings are no problem for the electric chain hoist. © Kito

As in all production facilities, there are also areas in the Finnish plant where lifting processes have to be carried out with high loads and little space - even though the plant was designed with a reasonable ceiling height. A real challenge is the maintenance work, where the huge water pumps have to be lifted regularly. The area above the pumps is limited, but Kito partner Finmotor has installed a solution for Skanska: A Sher2M electric chain hoist with a low headroom was mounted on a monorail directly above the water pumps. This makes the best possible use of the limited space above the pumps, the water pumps can be lifted safely if necessary and maintenance work can be carried out optimally.

Overcoming great lifting heights without fear of space
Little space and low ceilings are no problem for the Sher2M electric chain hoist. The model is the short version of the robust ER2 electric chain hoist from Kito. For the lifting processes in the Finnish wastewater treatment plant, Finmotor selected a model with a load capacity of up to 2000 kilograms and a lifting height of twelve meters, while the electric chain hoist itself has an overall height of just 435 millimetres. With built-in technical features such as a frequency inverter for precise positioning and an electromagnetic brake, the chain hoist performs all maintenance tasks safely and easily.

The Sher2M (Short Headroom ER2 Motorized Trolly Type) is the short version of the ER2 electric chain hoist. © Kito

The strength of the hoist is in the load chain
The compressed design of the Sher2M is made possible by the special chain guide. Every centimeter is used to move the load directly under the carrier. However, it is not only the load chain's routing, but also the chain itself that is ideal for handling in restricted conditions. According to Kito, it is the only manufacturer in the world that uses a special electroless nickel-plating process for its load chain and installs it as standard in all its hoists. The load chain thus defies hydrogen embrittlement and is more corrosion-resistant than conventional load chains. as