After 80 years of grab manufacturing, NEMAG is still surprising the market...

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New ideas from 80 year old grab manufacturer NEMAG

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Zierikzee – December 2004

Nemag’s 80 year history of designing and building high capacity grabs for bulk handling hides extensive specialist know-how and experience. The ‘mantle of pioneer’ in grab technology has meant helping many terminals economize their bulk handling. In short, the 80 year young Nemag shows her vitality in making ever more cost-effective grabs and ever more effective ideas to raise speed and efficiency of bulk handling.

Nemag since 1924

The history of Europe’s leading grab manufacturer starts in 1924 in the premier Dutch port of Rotterdam. Abraham Grootveld started a small engineering plant mainly in ship repair. But he also addressed grab repair and shortly thereafter decided not only to repair but build them. Grootveld was a clever technician who excelled in creating inventive answers to the grab challenge of fast and effective bulk handling. This tradition was the foundation on which the contemporary Nemag was created. Over the years Nemag built an impressive name in ‘smart’ grab technology. One striking example was the patented Scissors grab, today a resounding success in terms of efficient transhipment of large volumes. Scissors grabs up to 60 cubic meters are today successfully used in terminals and cranes across the world.

Then there is the Valstar grab, known today as the durable ‘can do it all’ and the Cactus grab, noted for its super-fast handling of rough, oddly shaped commodities such as scrap, stones and household waste. The Trimming grab was designed to reach hard-to-access places in a ships hold other grabs could not reach. The range is complete and meets the most complex market needs. Nemag can help everyone.

But especially companies that need quality and long life, that want to minimise failure and breakdown rates, that want to have minimal maintenance, that recognise the importance of always having a grab operational year after year, companies that want the best return on investment.

Nemag’s recent orders

Mainly because of supplying grabs with the highest possible productivity with the lowest cost per ton handled Nemag still enjoys a healthy order portfolio including recent orders such as amongst others two Scissors grabs for the handling of iron ore and coal for the 50 and 85 tonnes unloaders of EMO and also two iron ore Scissors grabs for the 60 tonnes unloaders for EECV. Both companies located in the port of Rotterdam. Besides orders for Scissors grab, Nemag has received various orders for its environmentally friendly clamshell grab for the handling of coal.

However, that is not all that makes Nemag a remarkable supplier of quality advanced grab products. Together with the client, the company also seeks to improve the goods transhipment process and make it more efficient. With proven results.

Fast and more efficient grab exchange

Nemag produces grabs which are entirely tuned to each client’s individual demands to operate in the fastest and most efficient manner with minimal failure and maintenance needs. Another way of further streamlining and improving transhipment is to use the patented Nemag system to exchange grabs rapidly. The systems introduced some years ago under the names ‘Quick Release Link’ and ‘Rope Pear Socket’ are efficient, reliable and use minimal manpower.

The Quick Release Link is designed to allow one man to change even the largest grabs in just a few minutes. It is an easy, quick and safe connection between the grab ropes and the ropes of the crane, removing the locking piece by means of a key. The Rope Pear Socket is a specially designed end connection for steel wire ropes. In combination with the Quick Release Link, the Rope Pear Socket creates unbreakable links between steel wire ropes. It passes over crane sheaves without any problem.

A new range of Rope Pear Sockets for special and compacted wire ropes

Today, crane builders are increasingly using special steel wires, such as deviating wire structures and partly compacted wires. These offer a smaller diameter at high breaking strength.

Recent news from Nemag is the new additional range of Rope Pear Sockets for special steel wires. The 8-strand steel wire rope (e.g. CASAR Turboplast or similar) is a good example. Compared to standard 6x36 WS steel wires these special wires offer smaller diameter at high strength. Nemag’s new range of Rope Pear Sockets were designed for this type of steel wire as such to have the breaking strength of the Rope Pear Socket correspond with the diameter of the steel wire.

Today Nemag is entirely in line with the latest development of applying compacted steel wires in grab cranes.

Grab ID®, Nemag’s new idea to increase grab productivity

Nemag can now offer a unique grab monitoring system. An electronic signalling system linked to the crane and terminal’s data system that identifies, registers and closely monitors how the grab functions. “The trend is clearly that larger terminals in particular want to raise their productivity; and thus want to know more about the cost effectiveness of their bulk transhipment work,” says Reint Grootveld, Nemag’s managing director. “We have a good name when it comes to productive grabs and products for raising terminal productivity, but we are most interested in the actual performance of each of our grabs. We developed this system together with one of our clients, Spain’s EBHI, to monitor grab productivity levels and to develop a clear picture of grab stocks for systematic maintenance. Now each grab has its own identity and data file which allows us to track and visualize precisely its productivity and maintenance records. While at first we did not have access to these records for each individual grab, it is essential information for efficient grab unloading. It also means perfect planning for preventive maintenance, evenly distribute use of the grabs and a better balance between performance and maintenance for longer equipment life.

World’s first grab monitoring system

Nemag is the first grab manufacturer in the world to develop such a system

Each grab is equipped with a tag that gives the grab its own specific electronic identity. Each crane is also equipped with an electronic reader. With each passage the grab is recognised by the reader and the tonnes transhipped are added to the accumulated tonnage handled. By collecting, recording and integrating all this information in the GrabID database, an accurate overview of the performance per grab is created.

With its healthy portfolio, ongoing product development of environment-friendly hardware, its new range of rope pear sockets and its world premier – the grab monitoring system, the 80 year-old Nemag is demonstrating its vitality and innovative capabilities. When it comes to raising productivity and tightening costs, 80 year-old Nemag is showing itself to be the undisputed trendsetter in bulk handling by grabs.

For more information, please visit:

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Caption:

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