Meltech Cranes manufactures a wide range of material handling equipment that are used in production lines in various industries, including steel, aluminum and cement. In these industries, cranes are indispensable for handling the heaviest and most critical loads. From molten metal and large coils to raw materials and finished products, cranes move these key materials that can be hazardous and can weigh up to hundreds of tons.
Hence, it is crucial that cranes in these segments operate reliably, ensure precision and safety in harsh environments, and enable smooth material flow and uninterrupted production. At the same time, these industries are under mounting pressure to decarbonize and reduce energy use. By integrating ABB’s ACS880 regenerative drives, Meltech is enabling precise crane control and energy savings for its customers.
Meltech has been delivering EOT cranes across India to serve critical industries. With ABB’s advanced regenerative drive solutions, these cranes are now ensuring reliable performance, precise control, and improved energy efficiency. The integration supports smooth operations even in demanding environments, aligning with Meltech’s “No Compromise” principle on quality while reducing operational costs for customers.
“At Meltech, we are committed to delivering cranes that combine reliability, precision, and efficiency. By integrating ABB’s regenerative drive technology, we provide customers with smarter, safer, and more energy-efficient solutions that reflect our ‘performance you can trust’ principle,” said Rijin N V, General Manager, Marketing, Meltech Cranes.
Built-in intelligence for precise and safe crane control
ABB has supplied over 20 ACS880 regenerative drives to Meltech for India’s largest integrated special alloy steel plant. These drives are deployed in heavy-duty, continuous-operation slag-handling outdoor grabbing cranes and coil-handling EOT cranes.
Equipped with dedicated control programs, the drives integrated with ABB’s AC500 programmable logic controller (PLC) and crane software deliver built-in functionalities that improve movement accuracy while eliminating the need for additional equipment. This not only simplifies crane operation but also lays the foundation for EOT cranes to achieve a high level of autonomy.
With position control, anti-sway and safety functionalities, ABB drives have enabled precise crane control for Meltech without the need for any external elements, reducing complexity and footprint, and supporting multiple crane movements, including hoisting, long and cross travel. The drives produce exceptionally low harmonic content without the need for extra filters. They can also collect data from the motor and communicate it in real time to PLC, resulting in accurate sequenced movements with a cost-effective approach. With PLC, operators can accurately monitor key crane parameters like speed and load.
Maximizing energy efficiency
“In demanding industries like cement and metals, it is important that cranes operate not only precisely but also safely. ABB’s advanced drives for crane control are designed to deliver smoother and safer operations, maximized energy efficiency and reduced system complexity, helping industries outrun – leaner and cleaner,” said AR Madhusudan, President and Local Division Manager, Drive Products, ABB India.
ABB’s ACS880 regenerative drives feed braking energy back to the network instead of wasting braking energy as heat, enabling Meltech’s customers to utilize it for other equipment and helping plants cut electricity costs while lowering their carbon footprint.
