www.vetter-cranes.

com

Jan./12

Lift it
The magazine of VETTER Krantechnik GmbH

Page 10

HORAs success story

Efficient operations with

VETTER cranes

January 2012 Liftit21

CONTENTS

Editorial

Yachting crane on the

Kaiserschleuse lock
Not gone with the wind

Teamwork in Poland
Slewing crane on the river Vistula

Capturing new markets

Maximum protection for liquefied
gas tanks

10

HORAs success story

Efficient operations with
VETTER cranes

12

Total security with VETTER

Prison pillars for Bruges

14

MOBILUS in action
ztec now even faster

15

Cranes up close and personal

New showroom in Haiger

16

Trade fair review

VETTER live

18 History

The VETTER Group

10
12

Issue 5, January 2012

IMPRINT
Published by: VETTER Krantechnik GmbH | Siegtalstr. 22 | 57080 Siegen | Germany
Responsible for editing: Jens Utsch | Phone +49 271 3502-320 | Fax +49 271 3502-9320 | Mobile: +49 176 13502320
E-mail: jens.utsch@vetter.eu | www.vetter-krane.de
Concept/Design by: conception Kommunikationsagentur | Siegen | www.conception.cc
Printed by: rewi Druckhaus | Wissen | www.rewi.de
Pictures credits: Page 2, 12 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH; Page 2, 6, 7 Rialex; Page 4, 5 Anke Grtner - HEBEZONE;
Page 4, 5 bremenports; Page 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13 iStockphoto; Page 17 Targi Kielce
LIFT it subscriptions and subscription cancellations: send an e-mail in either case to jens.utsch@vetter.eu

2 Liftit January 2012

editorial

Ladies and gentlemen,

dear business friends,
We would like to express our sincere thanks for your cooperation and your support at
our very successful joint projects in 2011. For our company and in the field of material
handlings in all, last year was characterized by the major improvement of the
economic situation.
We carried out many special contracts, some of which are the subject in this issue.
It features reports, e. g. on the use of slewing jib cranes on dowel plate systems, a service
crane on a special gantry crane on the river Vistula, and a yachting crane at the
Kaiserschleuse lock in Bremerhaven.
Explosion-proof slewing jib cranes on LNG tanks in China and Portugal were another
special challenge, as were the security arrangements for a prison in Belgium.
Attendance at various trade fairs, culminating in the CeMAT in Hanover, provided
opportunities for friendly contacts and conversation with many of our customers all
over the world.
We completed our showroom and training centre last year, making it possible to see
slewing jib cranes and gantry crane systems in action. Please feel free to visit us in our
new crane factory at Haiger and see for yourselves - you are always welcome!
All the best for you and your families and a good start into the New Year!

Klaus Galinski Norbert Hammes

January 2012 Liftit3

The ultimate project

A structure fitting for a new century was inaugurated on
30 April 2011 - the new Kaiserschleuse lock in Bremerhaven.
The operator, bremenports, celebrated the event in fitting manner
and set a new world record - the longest parade of boats in the world!
A new yachting crane supplied by VETTER was in on the action.

he Kaiserschleuse lock in Bremerhaven

could only take ships of up to 185 m
in length before the structural alterations. Now the biggest car carriers in the world
(240 m long) can get into the citys inland port
which is a major car trans-shipment centre for
Germany. Every day more than 5,500 vehicles
reach or leave the coastal city, and an average
of four to five large car carriers and freight
ships dock here. The 233 million euro structure
boasts lock engineering of a kind not found
anywhere else in the world. The water level in
the lock is not equalised by means of intake
channels but instead the upper halves of the
gates, each of which weighs approximately
1.5 t, are lifted by a hydraulic system. In total,
51,800 m of concrete and more than 36,400 t
of steel were used. The new basin is 305 m long,
13 m deep and 55 m wide.
World-class parade for
world record
The crowning event for the
megastructure was the opening ceremony complete
with a new world record. A
total of 327 boats, yachts,
tall ships and themed cruise

4 Liftit January 2012

VETTER yachting crane with a lifting capacity of 4 t and

an outreach of 6.5 m

ships formed a 3.5 km parade, putting the

Kaiserschleuse lock into the 2011 Guinness
Book of World Records.
Not gone with the wind
We supplied and assembled a fully galvanised yachting crane for the Kaiserschleuse
lock in collaboration with our Hanau-based
business partner HEBEZONE. It will be used
for the crane operations on
the harbour police boats.
A light is fitted on the column of the crane so that
work can continue at night.
The crane, which has a lifting capacity of 4 t and an
outreach of 6.5 m, also has
an electric wire rope hoist
and a locking mechanism to

prevent the jib from slewing out in the wind.

That means the marine crane can stand firm
and firmly withstand stormy times!

sylvia.papior@vetter-krane.de

YACHTING CRANE ON THE KAISERSCHLEUSE LOCK

Kaiserschleuse lock, Bremerhaven

The rebuilding of the Kaiserschleuse lock was
the largest project of its kind in Europe in
2008. It replaces the previous lock, which was
built at the end of the 19th century and was
much too small for large modern-day car carriers. The new Kaiserschleuse lock is guaranteeing the future of Bremerhaven as leading car
transfer point and logistic hub in Europe.
l Length: 305 m
l Passage width: 55 m

Bremerhaven

Three of the 327 boats in the parade

January 2012 Liftit5

Service crane for greater dependability

VETTER Krantechnik joined forces with Rialex Crane Systems to supply a high-tech system for
the Przewz barrage on the river Vistula in Poland. A VETTER slewing jib crane was mounted
on a gantry crane supplied by Rialex Crane Systems for servicing and repair work.
The two cranes are now working together to aid the safe and reliable operation of the barrage.

6 Liftit January 2012

TEAMWORK IN POLAND

he gantry crane built by Rialex Crane

Systems has a lifting capacity of 23 t and
a span of 5 m. Its lifting beam and hook
make light work of raising the weir gate. The
crane can do its job at temperatures of -20 to
+40 C and humidity levels of up to 80 %. The
lifting mechanisms are located on the top
platform of the gantry crane. These are serviced
regularly and repaired when necessary. The
equipment and spare parts required for this
work are delivered by ship - which is where the
VETTER crane comes into operation. It lifts the
parts and equipment out of the ship and onto
the top platform.
Custom engineering for specific demands
The engineers at VETTER designed the MEISTER
slewing jib crane specifically for this application
with a lifting capacity of 1.6 t and an outreach of 6 m. The column-mounted slewing jib
crane is fitted with an electric wire rope hoist,
electric travelling trolley and slewing gear.
The electric wire rope hoist is moved under a
tarpaulin roof to protect it from the elements in
the various weather conditions. The crane itself
is fixed in position to prevent any unintentional slewing movements when the gantry crane
system is moving. The crane operator can safely
control all the movements of the crane from the
control platform.

Shipping the cranes to the barrage

Special transport logistics

The logistics were somewhat unusual in that
both cranes were transported not only by land
but also by sea to the barrage where Rialex assembled them. There has been a major improvement in the flow of operations at the Przewz
barrage thanks to the fact that the new crane
system was designed to meet the most exacting
standards in terms of operational reliability and
dependability.

joerg.schachtschneider@vetter-cranes.com

River Vistula
l Longest river in Poland
l Source: 1,214 m Barania Gra mountain in
the Silesian Beskids
l Water mouth: Gdansk Bay into the
Baltic Sea
l Length: 1,047 km
l Navigable: 914 km, from Zabrzeg
l Five barrage weirs to regulate the water
level in order to guarantee permanent
navigability

River Vistula

Przewz barrage

Lifting and assembling the two cranes from the water

January 2012 Liftit7

Safety first with VETTER

explosion-proof cranes

Testing the cranes

8 Liftit January 2012

Explosion-proof wire rope hoist with a lifting height of 56 m

CAPTURING NEW MARKETS

Rising gas prices and an increasing demand for natural gas have led to a boom
in demand for liquefied gas in recent years. Handling liquefied gas is a challenge
requireing sophisticated systems which have to meet special safety standards.
Reputable manufacturers like VETTER Krantechnik and STAHL CraneSystems are
successfully rising to this challenge.

iquefied natural gas (LNG for short) can

be pumped into tankships and transported
over long distances by sea. This makes it
a viable alternative to pipeline-bound natural
gas. Gas-rich countries in the Arab world and
Asia in particular, but also in China, have been
investing for years in liquefaction plants and
port terminals. Countries which import the
gas, first and foremost Japan, India and South
Korea, are building LNG terminals and regasification plants on their coastlines.
Maximum protection at port terminals
The gas is stored in special cooling tanks at
-161 C to keep it in liquid state. The liquid is
pumped into a pipe system and is then routed through these pipes onto the tankships.
These pumps need to be lifted from the
bottom of the tanks up to five times a year
and taken out for servicing - a delicate undertaking with no leeway for mistakes. The
cranes and hoists are subject to strict safety
standards for electrical equipment in areas
at risk of explosion - they must be suitable
for hazardous duty in conformity with ATEX
and IECEx.

Teamwork for efficient workflow

VETTER has already teamed up with its business partner STAHL CraneSystems on several
occasions to supply crane systems for terminals in China, Spain and Portugal. Eight
projects have been successfully completed
involving 10 crane systems in total. The
most recent project in Portugal involved a
crane with a lifting capacity of 3.5 t and an
outreach of 8 m. The special feature is the
accessibility of the jib for servicing purposes
via platforms on both sides (see photograph
opposite).

Safety and reliability in any weather

A STAHL wire rope hoist with a lifting height
of 56 m is used to lift the pumps out of
the tank. The wire rope hoist is fitted with
a weather protection roof, and the design
allows wire rope replacing during operation.
The load is attached and detached via the
wire rope replacing - saving time and ensuring safety.

wilfried.rode@vetter-krane.de

January 2012 Liftit9

Broad product range for lean

production!
A perfectly coordinated flow of materials is the key to optimum efficiency and streamlined
operations - VETTER helped medium-sized company HORA in this project with great success.
Operations were greatly simplified by fitting the production area with VETTER cranes and
extending the working area.
HORA (Holter Regelarmarturen GmbH & Co.
KG) is located in Schlo Holte-Stukenbrock in
Eastern Westphalia and is a leading supplier
of valves and drives for power plant technology, building automation and process engineering. The company lives by its motto which
is being different = being better.
HORA is a driving force behind innovative
new products and processes within its sector
of industry. This innovative strength has been
recognised with various awards, such as
the Manufacturing Excellence Award 2008
10 Liftit January 2012

and the TOP Innovation Award 2010.

We spoke to graduate engineer (Dipl.-Ing.) Ulf
Bker, Production Planning Project Manager at
HORA, about the finer details involved in altering the production area.
LIFT it: You used to source the cranes from
a different manufacturer. How did you
come across VETTER?
U. Bker: We came across VETTER when we
redesigned and extended our production area

because of the customised solutions we needed for our welding systems. The fact that the
cranes were tailored to our requirements (twin
jib each with lifting capacity of 2 t) and the options this gave us in terms of the layout of the
workstations were just some of the arguments
in favour of VETTER.
LIFT-it: And why did you decide to go for
VETTER cranes?
U. Bker: There were lots of finer technical
details and varying applications which can

HORAS SUCCESS STORY

HORA

Holter Regelamarturen
GmbH & Co. KG

Column-mounted slewing jib crane for machine loading, mounted on a dowel plate

Uwe Schumacher, field sales of VETTER, was involved in the plans right at the beginning of the
project and was a great help when it came to
designing the new workstations in the materials
handling section.

Our interviewee
Dipl.-Ing. Ulf Bker,
Production Planning Project Manager
at HORA since 2002
only be offered by a supplier with a broad product range and the flexibility to offer made-tomeasure solutions. The twin-jib cranes have
been put to use in the welding section and in
final assembly. We saved so much space
without the extra column that we could fit the
workstations on a relatively small footprint.
One key argument which led us to favour
VETTER as a business partner was that we
were also able to mount our existing columnmounted slewing jib cranes - independent
of the brand - on their dowel plates. We
redesigned the layout of all our machinery,
which meant relocating a total of 30 machines and peripheral equipment without stopping production within about three months.
The dowel plate system allowed us to keep
downtime to a bare minimum as we didnt
need to prepare concrete foundations for the
various machines.

LIFT-it: In which production areas are the

cranes used and what do they do there?
U. Bker: The VETTER cranes are used in all our
production areas, from incoming goods, cutting,
production and assembly right through to the
testing area and paint shop. In all cases, they are
handling materials directly at the workstations,
loading the machines, welding fixtures and assembly stations, etc.
LIFT-it: How many cranes were supplied
altogether?
U. Bker: Altogether there were 18 crane
systems, dowel plate systems and various
services (e.g. installation and approval) and
accessories.

l Construction, manufacturing and

marketing support of control valves and
actuators
l Founded in 1967
l Approx. 300 employees
l Turnover of 50 million euros
l Export share of 65 %
www.hora.de

Schlo Holte-Stukenbrock

LIFT-it: Coming back to the subject of your

company motto, being different = being
better, what do you think is different and
better about VETTER products than those of
its competitors?
U. Bker: VETTER offers very flexible, customised solutions in slewing jib cranes and has
proved to be extremely professional and reliable
in the course of the business relations.
LIFT-it: Thank you for the interview!

stefan.mueller@vetter-krane.de

January 2012 Liftit11

Prison security with

VETTER prison pillars

The entrance to the prison in Bruges in Belgium. Three inmates there succeeded in making a spectacular escape.

12 Liftit January 2012

TOTAL SECURITY WITH VETTER

In the summer of 2009 three violent criminals hit the international

headlines when they made a spectacular escape from prison in Bruges in
Belgium. Two years on and following considerable public pressure, the
prison yard is now covered with steel nets. The remedy has come in the
form of prison pillars, specially designed by VETTER in close
collaboration with its Belgian business partner SKP.

he trio of gangsters made their escape

from prison James Bond-style after
taking possession of a helicopter. Two
accomplices of the escaped convicts had
taken a helicopter pilot hostage and had
landed the helicopter in the prison yard.
The Hollywood-style escape reignited the
discussion about the security of Belgian
penitentiaries as an inmate had already escaped from a Belgian prison in a helicopter
in a similar incident in 2007. The reaction in
the Belgian press was immediate, with voices
calling for nets or steel cabling to be fitted over the prison yards. Minister of Justice
Stefaan De Clerck announced measures in
response.

You may be interested to know that, after

making their escape, the three gangsters
robbed four banks, racking up ill-gotten
gains of 100,000 euro, but their enjoyment
was short-lived as the three were back
doing time two weeks later.

Penitentiary in Bruges, Belgium

l
l
l
l

l

One of the largest prisons in Belgium

Male and female prisoners
Average occupancy of 748 inmates
Maximum-security wing for highly
dangerous criminals
In-house hospital

www.just.fgov.be

Bruges

bert.vandenbril@vetter-cranes.com

Prison yard with a bizarre view

Two years later and the VETTER prison pillars were supplied via the Belgian company
SKP of Beringen. There were more than 50
galvanised pillars, 8 m high, and these were
erected in the prison yard. The steel nets attached to the pillars span the entire yard and
will prevent helicopter landings in future.
The structure has restored security to the
prison in Bruges.

Simulation of the new prison yard with VETTER prison pillars.

January 2012 Liftit13

MOBILUS IN ACTION

The flexible friend!

The work at ztec GmbH in Bad Oeynhausen has been even more enjoyable lately. Thats because the
MOBILUS mobile slewing jib crane has been on hand to help the workers at the contract manufacturing company to load the eight CNC-controlled turning and milling machines, making their job faster, easier and safer.

he heavy workpieces used to be fitted

with forklifts or manpower, but today the
MOBILUS is wheeled over to the places
where the strength of its permanent magnet
is needed to lend a helping hand. The mobile
crane can lift loads weighing up to 250 kg and
can be moved by just one person to the required
location thanks to its integrated undercarriage.
The power supply is provided via an extension
cable.

MOBILUS with integrated undercarriage

14 Liftit January 2012

More safety, less loss

Dangerous lifting actions are a thing of the past,
as are long waiting times and unscheduled time
off for staff. Workpieces are less likely to be scratched or damaged therefore there is a considerable
reduction in scrap rates.

stefan.mueller@vetter-krane.de

CRANES UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

VETTER submits to close

scrutiny
The new showroom in the training centre on the Haiger site has been open since
28 October 2011. Come and see VETTER live and put our products to the test!

he innovative showroom is a place where

our customers can test our products and
be inspired by the latest advances in crane
technology. It opens up many new options for
customers, and the hands-on approach helps
them to see the potential for integration in their
specific applications. Experience at first hand
how VETTER cranes can help you gain an edge
over your competitors. We explain the technical
details next to the real-life product and you can
put your questions to our specialists.
Our service - your benefit
The new showroom is our attempt to provide an even better service and cater to our
customers requirements. It enables us to
demonstrate the features on the products
themselves and explain the differences, thus
combining the theory of our training courses
with the practical application.
Dont delay - make an appointment for a
training session now.

Inside the new showroom

jens.utsch@vetter.eu

Pay us a visit!
Do you want to know where your cranes
come from? We invite you to visit the
production facilities in our plant in Haiger we look forward to your visit!
Your contact:
Jens Utsch
E-mail: jens.utsch@vetter.eu
Phone: +49 271 3502-320

January 2012 Liftit15

On the red stand

The red carpet was the only thing missing! Otherwise VETTER had done everything
to make every visitor to the trade fair feel like a VIP. Read on for a review of the CeMAT, GIFA,
METAL and FMB trade fairs.

Raffle at CeMAT
The VETTER team spent five days at the CeMAT fair in Hanover in May
2011 welcoming crane experts from all over the world. The slogan chosen
for the event was Welcome to VETTER. The campaign was successful,
with lots of discussions with industry professionals, conversations with
new contacts, and renewing of existing contacts. As it is tradition, visitors
to the stand were served with fresh waffles.

16 Liftit January 2012

Trade fair visitors Markus Scheibelberger of Konecranes GesmbH, and

Melanie Kaliner of Hagener Frdertechnik GmbH (from left to right) are
delighted to receive their iPad2.

TRADE FAIR REVIEW

Live demonstration of a load

turning device at GIFA
The VETTER stand at the GIFA trade fair in Dsseldorf from 28 June
to 02 July 2011 pulled in lots of visitors. There was a live demonstration of a ROTOMAX load turning device which can be used to
turn heavy and bulky moulding boxes.

METAL: cooperation for new

customers
We also demonstrated a ROTOMAX load turning device for the
foundry industry at the METAL trade fair in Kielce in September 2011,
joining forces on this occasion with our Polish business partner Rywal.
We were able to strengthen our contacts in Poland and received enquiries at the trade fair about interesting requirements and applications.

Trade fair preview 2012

LogiMAT 2012
Stuttgart/Germany
10th International Trade Fair for Distribution,
Material Handling and Information Flow
13 15 March 2012
Hall 3, Stand 522
www.logimat-messe.de

3. Zulieferer-Messe
Maschinenbau
Sdwestfalen

Joint stand at Forum

Maschinenbau
Forum Maschinenbau is a supplier show for the machinery industry in Bad Salzuflen and this three-day event in November 2011
offered lots of new ideas for the mechanical engineering industry. VETTER Krantechnik and VETTER Kranservice manned a stand
there together and showcased the MOBILUS mobile jib crane.
This model of crane requires no fixation as the base is integrated
into the pedestal of the crane. The entire crane can therefore be
moved quickly and easily. The crane which had been on display
was promptly sold at the end of the trade fair.

3rd Supplier-Fair Mechanical Engineering

Siegen/Germany
Regional, compact industrial fair for manufacturing companies; main focus mechanical
engineering, metal processing
26 and 27 June 2012
Stand F-5
www.zulieferer-messe.de
FMB 2012
Bad Salzuflen/Germany
Regional trade fair for suppliers to the
mechanical engineering industry
07 09 November 2012
Hall 20, Stand D34
www.forum-maschinenbau.com

January 2012 Liftit17

Indebted to the past - obliged to the

present - turned to the future
acc. to Joh. Heinr. Jung-Stilling (1740-1817)

Today VETTER is one of the leading manufacturer of crane systems and forks for
forklift trucks and offers the full range of services and most demanding customized
solutions. Even after more than 120 years VETTER is still a family-owned company.

How it all began...

1889
18 Liftit January 2012

Founder
Arnold Vetter

Ing. Albert Vetter

Klaus Th. Vetter,

Executive Partner
VETTER Holding GmbH

Dipl.-Kfm. Arnold Vetter,

Executive Partner
VETTER Holding GmbH

1889-1933

1933-1962

since 1962

since 1991

HISTORY

he master smith Arnold Vetter founded the

"Eisenkonstruktions - Werksttte Arnold
Vetter" structural steel workshop in 1889.
He began by doing repairs on the ore mines in
the Siegerland region. The rise of the company came with the invention of a tipping truck,
of which 48,000 had been produced by 1933.
When Arnold Vetter passed away in 1933, his
eldest son Albert Vetter took over the management and the company specialized in the manufacture of cages for ore and coal mining. After
his death in 1962 Klaus Th. Vetter succeeded him,
who because of the crisis in the mining industry
restructured the company by introducing the
manufacture of new products.
VETTER grows
VETTER has been making crane systems and
hoists since 1964, as well as forks for the forklift
truck industry. In 1991 the company was split
up into VETTER Krantechnik GmbH, VETTER
Kranservice GmbH and VETTER Umformtechnik
GmbH. The group developed with great success
and became one of the leading suppliers of both
crane systems and forks for forklift trucks in
Europe and worldwide.
Family-owned company on a successful way
Today the companies under the VETTER Holding
GmbH are managed by Klaus Th. Vetter and his
son Dipl.-Kfm. Arnold Vetter in the third and
fourth generation. The VETTER group is still
100 % owned by the family. The basis for
further success is the ongoing commitment to
quality, constant investment in production and
skills, strong customer relations and high levels
of personal dedication. Traditional values
combined with innovative products and manufacturing techniques form a solid basis for a
sustainable future.

VETTER
Krantechnik GmbH:
Parent company at
Siegen-Eiserfeld

VETTER
Krantechnik GmbH:
New production
plant at Haiger

VETTER
Umformtechnik GmbH:
Burbach factory
buildings

VETTER Holding GmbH

VETTER Krantechnik GmbH

VETTER Kranservice GmbH

VETTER Umformtechnik GmbH

Slewing jib cranes / crane systems

ROTOMAX load turning devices

Maintenance and repairs of crane

systems and hoisting devices

Forks for forklift truck industry

Siegen

Haiger

Service centres all

over Germany

Burbach

January 2012 Liftit19

Folding side frames for easy

handling

Making light work of safety

Building a crane is like childs play with the ALU1 mobile gantry crane. It is quick and easy to assemble and disassemble.
The lightweight aluminium parts are simply connected together - no drilling and no tools required! All the individual parts are
light enough to be carried easily by one person. It is supplied as standard with height adjustment facility and a push trolley
with holding brake. With a lifting capacity of up to 1.5 t and a span of up to 4 m, the ALU1 is the ideal assembly crane for
light-duty applications.

VETTER - the crane specialist

VETTER Krantechnik GmbH

Siegtalstr. 22 | 57080 Siegen | Germany
www.vetter-cranes.com
20 Liftit January 2012