Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) today launched the full-scale operation of Japan’s largest goliath crane, with a 1,200-ton hoisting capacity, at its Koyagi Plant of the Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Nagasaki Prefecture. The newly installed gantry crane measures 95.5 meters in height and 185 meters in width. With the introduction of the new crane, together with expansion of other shipbuilding-related facilities, the annual shipbuilding capacity of the Koyagi Plant will increase, in LNG carrier parameters, from the current five units to seven.
One outstanding feature of the new crane is its significant wind resistance despite its reduced weight. As the Koyagi Plant is located in an area prone to high winds, the crane adopts an aerodynamic design, based on extensive wind tunnel testing, to fend off strong winds. The crane is designed to withstand gusts of up to 80 meters/second, far stronger than the 55 m/s that goliath cranes are normally designed for.
