"We wanted to introduce a crane that satisfies customer needs and is implemented using the best available technology,” said Ari Kiviniitty, Konecranes' chief technology officer. “The development of Smarton incorporates the experience we have accumulated from the maintenance of hundreds of thousands of cranes and from our extensive product range."

The robust crane’s compact size enables new industrial spaces to be smaller than before, reducing construction costs and heating expenses. The compact structure provides tight hook approaches, allowing the user to place the load much closer to the wall. A unique, space-saving service platform folds over the trolley to protect its components. All of the crane's service points are located on one side and are easily accessible. The compact design requires fewer natural resources in its production. Braking energy is fed back into the power grid, reducing energy consumption and energy costs by up to one third. And, the machine is made of 98-percent recyclable material.

A key driver of the design is adaptability to meet the customer's changing business and process needs. Customers can purchase only what they need now, with the option of adding functions and features as future processes require. Smarton can easily be updated at any time with additional features, such as automated positioning, extended speed range, defined working areas, maintenance monitoring, or remote diagnostics.

"The Smarton offers a selection of standardized modules that are intelligently designed and coordinated. This innovative crane can be quickly configured to suit many customers' unique needs," said Jaakko Koppinen, director, heavy-duty cranes. One of the main goals in the development of the crane was to minimize the frequency and duration of maintenance shutdowns. "In today's industrial environment, shutdowns are very expensive. The better we can predict when equipment needs to be serviced and the faster we can perform maintenance, the longer a crane can operate and benefit the process," explained Koppinen.

The crane monitors its own condition and recommends when and what kinds of inspections or preventive maintenance should be performed. It keeps track of work cycles and predicts the remaining safe operating lifetime of the various components. "The service life of hoisting wire ropes is a key element in maintenance expenses. Wire ropes are costly, and changing them is a time-consuming task. We have clearly extended the life of the wire ropes by optimizing the pulley rope angles in the hook housing, making them as small as possible to reduce the wear and tear on the wire ropes,” said Kiviniitty. “Additionally, another innovation is its ability to predict the replacement interval of the wire ropes based on actual operating condition."

Konecranes opted for tried-and-tested components instead of unique parts in Smarton, said Koppinen. “Should spare parts be needed, their availability is guaranteed. We always have a given number of components in stock," he added.

The machine features an intelligent, yet easy-to-use human-interface-to-machine (HIM) system that keeps the user continuously up-to-date on load weight and its position relative to the available workspace. The HIM implementation tool makes it easy to understand the features of the device and speeds up user training. Error detection diagnostics instruct the user on how to deal with any problems. Additionally, the crane operator can program working cycles to boost productivity.

"The service panel enables faults to be solved quickly. Since the fault and its frequency are displayed on the panel, Smarton is designed to speed up the inspection time, particularly of the frequency inverter panels," explained Timo Ruokonen, a maintenance fitter at Konecranes.

Smarton also has other productivity-enhancing features: Its precise, stepless-speed control ensures that loads can be lifted, moved, and lowered faster, thereby reducing the overall load-handling times.

Remote monitoring is an available feature. Three support centers located in different time zones around the world ensure that Konecranes can offer 24/7 support for equipment, regardless of the location.