Kelude Heavy Industry Expands: New Welding Workshop & 600t Test Bench
Kelude has completed a major production capacity expansion: a new 4,800 m² structural fabrication workshop has been added, equipped with 8 welding stations (including 2 robotic welding systems) and capable of welding plate thicknesses up to 100 mm. A new 600 t complete machine test bench has also been commissioned, with a maximum test load of 750 t (125% overload capacity), along with two additional 50 t workshop cranes. The total investment is approximately CNY 50 million (about $7.4 million), lifting annual production capacity from 180 units to over 300 units, and compressing the standard delivery lead time for European Standard double-girder cranes to 3–4 months.
In the first half of 2026, Kelude's export orders grew 45% year-on-year, putting existing capacity under severe strain—structural welding stations were backed up and test bench slots were fully booked. To meet export delivery commitments for the second half of 2026, the company invested approximately CNY 50 million (about $7.4 million) in a capacity expansion program centered on two core facilities: a new structural fabrication workshop and a 600 t complete machine test bench.
The expansion strategy is clear: this is not about adding low-end capacity. The focus is squarely on in-house structural fabrication and complete machine testing for heavy-duty European Standard double-girder cranes above 50 t rated load—the two areas that determine export quality and delivery reliability.
Welding Workshop: Four Key Capability Upgrades
The new welding workshop covers 4,800 m², bringing the total workshop floor area to 12,000 m². Two 100 t double-girder cranes handle workpiece transport, with maximum lifting capacity covering 300 t-class bridge sections. The eight welding stations are configured as follows: 2 robotic welding systems (for automated welding of long straight main girder seams and end carriage circumferential seams) and 6 manual welding stations (for flexible welding of stiffeners, connection plates, and other complex structures).
Upgrade 1: Maximum weldable plate thickness increased from 60 mm to 100 mm. For heavy-duty European standard cranes (200 t–300 t), main girder flange plates typically range from 60 mm to 90 mm thick. The previous equipment struggled with multi-pass thick-plate welding—low efficiency and insufficient heat input control. The new submerged arc welding system and preheating/post-heating insulation equipment have improved thick-plate welding efficiency by 40%, while the first-pass weld acceptance rate has risen from 85% to over 95%.
Upgrade 2: Robotic welding coverage increased from 30% to 60%. Two new robotic welding systems (equipped with laser seam tracking) are dedicated to the four T-joint long straight seams joining the top/bottom flange plates to the web plate on main girders, with individual seam lengths up to 25 m. Robotic welding maintains a stable travel speed of 400–500 mm/min—2 to 3 times faster than manual welding—while reducing spatter by 60%. This is critical for meeting EN 1090-2 EXC3 weld appearance acceptance requirements.
Upgrade 3: Controlled welding environment. The new workshop features a temperature and humidity control system (temperature maintained at 20 ± 5 °C, humidity ≤ 70%), meeting the welding process requirements for high-strength steels such as S690QL. Welding high-strength steel demands tight control of preheating temperature (≥ 150 °C) and interpass temperature (≤ 250 °C); the climate-controlled environment significantly reduces interference from ambient variables.
Upgrade 4: Dedicated in-house NDT inspection station. The workshop houses three inspection stations—UT, MT, and PT—enabling non-destructive testing within 2 hours of weld completion. Defective welds are reworked immediately. Compared to the previous outsourced inspection model (where results came back the next day), in-line inspection has compressed the closed-loop cycle of weld inspection, rework, and re-inspection from 3 days to 1 day.
600 t Test Bench: The Final Gate Before Delivery
The complete machine test bench is the last checkpoint for crane performance verification. The new 600 t bench has a maximum test load of 750 t (rated 600 t × 1.25 overload coefficient), covering 125% static load tests and 110% dynamic load tests across Kelude's full product range (up to 300 t European Standard double-girder gantry cranes).
The test bench measurement system includes:
- 128-channel stress/strain acquisition—strain gauges mounted at critical stress concentration zones including main girder mid-span, end carriage corners, and outrigger bases;
- 16-channel laser displacement sensors—measuring main girder mid-span deflection, end carriage torsional angle, and outrigger displacement;
- 12-channel triaxial acceleration sensors—vibration measurement for structural modal analysis and braking impact assessment.
All test data is acquired in real time with automatically generated test reports, and data is archived for a minimum of 15 years.
Test procedures performed on the bench:
① 125% Static Load Test—verifies structural strength and stiffness; main girder mid-span elastic deflection ≤ S/1000 (European Standard) or S/800 (ISO 4301);
② 110% Dynamic Load Test—verifies smooth operation of hoisting, long travel, and cross-travel mechanisms under rated load × 1.1 conditions;
③ Anti-Sway Test—measures load swing amplitude and settling time during trolley and bridge start/stop cycles under rated load;
④ Functional Safety Test—verifies the integrity of limit switches, overload limiters, and emergency stop buttons.
The significance of this test bench: previously, European standard cranes above 50 t had to undergo load testing at the customer's site—often limited to 80%–100% of rated load due to site constraints and available test weights. Now, full 125% load testing is completed before the crane leaves the factory. Quality issues are identified and resolved in-house, eliminating the cost and reputational damage of discovering problems at the customer's site.
| Capacity Expansion Project | Key Parameter | Before Expansion | After Expansion | Improvement Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding Workshop Floor Area | Total Floor Area | 7200㎡ | 12000㎡ | +67% |
| Welding Workstation | Number of Workstations+Automation Rate | 5Workstation·30%Robot | 8Workstation·60%Robot | +60%Production Capacity |
| Maximum Welding Plate Thickness | Submerged Arc Welding+Gas Shielded Welding | 60mm | 100mm | +67% |
| Test Bench Capacity | Maximum Test Load | 200t (static load) | 750t (125%overload) | +275% |
| Year Production Capacity | European Standard Double-Girder+Gantry | ~180Unit/Year | 300+Unit/Year | +67% |
| Standarddelivery time | 50t~100tEuropean Standard Double-Girder | 5~6Months | 3~4Months | Reduced33%~40% |
Why This Expansion Matters: Delivery Capability Drives Export Competitiveness
In the international market for European-standard cranes, the competitive edge no longer comes from the lowest price — it comes from three pillars: full compliance certification, consistent quality, and reliable delivery. On certification, the CE + ISO 3834 dual approval already covers that base. On quality, robotic welding and in-line NDT inspection ensure repeatable, defect-free fabrication. On delivery, that's exactly what this capacity expansion is built to solve.
A 3–4 month delivery window is a serious competitive advantage globally. European crane manufacturers (DEMAG, Konecranes, ABUS) typically quote 4–6 months for standard configurations and 6–9 months for non-standard builds. Kelude delivers in 3–4 months at roughly 50–60% of European pricing. That combination of speed and cost is the primary driver behind the 45% year-on-year growth in export orders projected for the first half of 2026.
Post-expansion capacity plan: of the 300+ units produced annually, export orders will grow from 40% to 60% of the mix (approximately 180 units), with the remaining 40% serving the domestic high-end segment (foreign-invested plants and automated production line integration). By product type, European-standard double-girder cranes in the 50t–100t range account for 55%, the 100t–200t range for 30%, and large cranes in the 200t–300t range for 15%.
FAQ: Capacity Expansion, Delivery, and Welding Automation
Q: Does the 600t test bench cover the testing requirements for all exported products?
A: Yes — it covers 125% static load and 110% dynamic load testing for Kelude's entire current product range. The largest product is a 300t gantry crane, which requires 375t at 125% static load, leaving ample headroom on the 600t rated / 750t maximum test bench. Should we expand into the 400t+ class in the future, additional counterweight modules can be added to extend the bench up to 1,000t.
Q: Will domestic customers also see shorter delivery times after the expansion?
A: Yes, they benefit directly. Delivery for standard domestic configurations (A3~A5 national-standard double-girder cranes) improves from 4–6 weeks to 3–4 weeks. Because the new welding workshop now handles structural fabrication for large-tonnage export units, it frees up capacity in the existing workshop for mid- and small-tonnage domestic orders, which naturally shortens queue times. For non-standard custom builds (special spans, special lifting heights, explosion-proof or metallurgical configurations), delivery still depends on configuration complexity and typically runs 6–10 weeks.
Q: Will robotic welding reduce the need for welders?
A: No — the headcount stays, but the skill set upgrades. Robots take over the repetitive physical labor of long, straight weld seams, but rib plate welding, complex joint work, and rework still demand highly skilled welders. Alongside the two new robotic systems, the workshop adds six manual welding stations, and the welder team grows from 8 to 16. The skill bar is rising too — welders now need to read WPS documents per EN 1090-2 EXC3, operate weld-seam tracking systems, and optimize welding parameters.
Q: What is the expected payback period for this expansion?
A: Based on the projected export order growth of +45% and 85% capacity utilization in the second half of 2026, the new capacity is expected to generate approximately RMB 80–120 million (about $11.9–17.8 million) in additional annual revenue, with a net profit margin of 12–15%. That puts the payback period at roughly 3–4 years. The key variable is the sustainability of export demand — if infrastructure investment in Southeast Asia and the Middle East maintains its current pace through 2027–2028, the payback period could shorten to 2.5–3 years.
Production capacity is the hard asset, certification is the passport, and delivery reliability is the competitive edge. With dual certification and the expanded facility now in place — and in full compliance with the TSG 51-2023 manufacturing license requirements — Kelude Heavy Industry has every element needed to compete head-to-head with leading international crane brands.
