GKM's power plant unit 9, which was connected to the grid in 2015, is one of the most efficient hard coal-fired power plants in the world with a fuel utilization rate of up to 70%. GKM uses a total of 260 crane systems and hoists of various types and manufacturers for transportation, repair and lifting tasks - a huge fleet. The reliability of these systems is extremely important. That is why GKM relies on Konecranes for maintenance and testing.

All cranes online at a glance

Each of the 260 cranes and hoists requires an annual safety inspection (UVV) and maintenance - the simple chain hoist as well as the nacelle crane with a lifting capacity of 300 tons, which the crane experts from Konecranes installed in the new power plant unit 9. From scheduling to service, documentation and maintenance, clear planning and documentation is required for so many systems. How can such a large fleet of crane systems and hoists be monitored quickly, safely and clearly? With the cloud-based customer portal yourKonecranes.com, this is possible - regardless of how many systems are in operation.

At the beginning of the year, the experts from Konecranes coordinate the dates for maintenance and safety checks together with GKM. "There are complex processes behind the provision of energy. For example, we need around three million tons of hard coal every year to operate the boilers. It has to be unloaded using the loading bridges, stored and transported to the four power plant units on time using the conveyor systems. Reliable cranes and hoists are very important for the maintenance and repair of these systems," says Michael Griesheimer, responsible for the maintenance of these systems at GKM. When planning the service assignments, GKM's operating processes are carefully considered and an optimum maintenance date is set for each system. GKM can always track the dates via the customer portal. Konecranes also offers the option of requesting services online.

Mobile information via smartphones or tablets

All cranes and hoists at GKM have different years of construction, manufacturers and histories. This results in individual requirements that Konecranes has to take into account during the inspection. Service technicians are on the road for around three months to maintain and inspect all the systems at GKM. With yourKonecranes.com, the crane experts always have all information available on smartphones or tablets, from technical data to inspection reports - regardless of where they are on the large factory site. With each inspection, the service technicians update the data of the systems on the portal and GKM can track the status of each maintenance in the service calendar in real time.

GKM generates electricity for 2.5 million people, commerce and industry as well as district heating for 120,000 households. For this purpose, 260 cranes and hoists are used on the company premises. Konecranes carries out the annual maintenance and safety inspection of the systems. (Image: Konecranes)

Following each maintenance, Konecranes prepares an inspection report for each of the 260 cranes and hoists and advises on how the systems can be further optimized. In addition, GKM can call up all reports online. The systems can be sorted according to various criteria such as maintenance priority, recent actions or newly requested services.

High availability of the cranes and hoists is essential in the tightly synchronized production process at GKM. The Konecranes experts therefore assess the condition of the individual systems as early as the inspection stage. If the operation of the system is at risk or it could fail, action must be taken quickly." The individual cranes and hoists are assigned to the four GKM power plant units in the customer portal. This means that the responsible departments receive a notification - and repair orders can be initiated promptly. as