Crane Configuration for Petrochemical Equipment Manufacturing
Cranes for petrochemical equipment manufacturing are configured around four equipment categories: towers, reactors, heat exchangers, and storage tanks. For tower fabrication, the QD Type (20–80 t) offers a lifting height of 18–24 m. Reactor applications use the QD Type (20–80 t) with stainless steel anti-corrosion protection. Heat exchanger production relies on the LD Type (10–30 t) with a specialized tube bundle spreader, while storage tank fabrication uses the LD Type (10–30 t). Complete plant solutions range from $150,000 to $1,000,000.
Tower Fabrication: High-Lift, Large-Tonnage Cranes
Distillation and absorption towers range from 1–6 m in diameter, with shell sections 6–20 m long and weighing 10–40 t per section. The recommended solution is the QD Type (20–80 t) with a lifting height of 18–24 m. Section tack-up maintains a maximum mismatch of ≤3 mm. Kelude tower fabrication cranes come standard with two-speed hoisting at 8/2 m/min.
Tray installation (sieve or valve trays) takes place after the tower sections are vertically welded. Each tray weighs 200–1,000 kg, with tray spacing of 300–800 mm. Tray levelness is held to ≤3 mm across the diameter. Kelude tower cranes support a staged, layer-by-layer installation sequence for internals.
Reactor Manufacturing: Stainless Steel Equipment Handling
Hydrotreating, catalytic, and polymerization reactors weigh 10–50 t and are fabricated from stainless steel. The recommended solution is the QD Type (20–80 t). Lifting spreaders must be stainless steel or nylon-coated to prevent iron-ion contamination.
Hydrotreater reactors involve substantial build-up welding (stainless steel overlay, 3–8 mm thick). During overlay welding, the reactor shell must be rotated; the crane works in tandem with a roller bed to achieve shell rotation. Kelude reactor bay cranes come standard with anti-sway functionality.
Heat Exchanger Manufacturing: Specialized Tube Bundle Spreaders
Shell-and-tube heat exchanger tube bundles weigh 5–20 t, with tubes 3–12 m long. The recommended solution is the LD Type (10–30 t) paired with a specialized C-hook spreader featuring adjustable suspension point spacing from 2–8 m.
Tube bundle assembly requires feeding hundreds of individual tubes through the tubesheet holes. The semi-automatic tube insertion machine weighs 3–8 t and must be positioned at the tubesheet center. Horizontal assembly of the heat exchanger housing requires a C-Hook in coordination.
Storage Tank Manufacturing: Plate Bending and Welding Setup
Spherical, horizontal, and vertical storage tanks weigh 10–30 t. The recommended solution is the LD Type (10–30 t). Kelude's storage tank crane package covers the full process from plate bending to spray coating.
Head forming involves heating steel plates to 900–1100°C before pressing them into shape on a hydraulic press. The heated plates are transferred by crane from the furnace to the press. Kelude storage tank cranes are equipped with heat-resistant wire rope.
Tower QD Type20-80t High18-24m | Reactor QD Type20-80t Stainless Steel | heat exchanger LD Type10-30t C-hook spreader |
Storage Tank LD Type10-30t | Tube Bundle Lifting spreader CAdjustable Type2-8m | complete plant 15-10010,000 |
Crane Configuration Table for Petrochemical Facilities
| Equipment | Machine Model | tonnage | Hoisting / Lifting | Lifting spreader | investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tower | QD Type | 20-80t | 18-24m | Spreader Beam | 30-10010,000 |
| Reactor | QD Type | 20-80t | 12-18m | Stainless Steel Lifting spreader | 20-8010,000 |
| heat exchanger | LD Type | 10-30t | 10-16m | Tube Bundle C Type | 15-4010,000 |
| Storage Tank | LD Type | 10-30t | 10-16m | Standard | 15-4010,000 |
Kelude Heavy Industry offers QD Type high-hoisting lifting spreaders for tower equipment, specialized spreaders for stainless steel reactors, and C-hook spreaders for heat exchanger tube bundles in the petrochemical equipment manufacturing sector.
High Hoisting / Lifting QD Type18-24m+Two-Speed | Stainless Steel Lifting spreader nylon-coated Iron Ion Contamination Protection | Tube Bundle Lifting spreader CAdjustable Type Lifting point2-8m |
FAQ: Tower Fabrication & Lifting Spreader Questions
Q: What are the accuracy requirements for tacking up tower shell sections?
A: Edge mismatch must not exceed 3 mm. The QD two-speed hoist with creep speed ensures precise alignment. Kelude tower cranes come standard with a two-speed hoist (8/2 m/min), meeting the accuracy requirements of the GB 150 standard.
Q: What are the requirements for lifting spreaders used with stainless steel reactors?
A: Spreaders used with stainless steel equipment must be made of stainless steel or have a nylon-coated finish. Carbon steel spreaders contacting stainless steel surfaces can cause iron-ion contamination, leading to intergranular corrosion.
Q: How are lifting spreaders configured for heat exchanger tube bundles?
A: A C-hook spreader is used, with adjustable suspension point spacing from 2 to 8 m and a lifting capacity of 5 to 20 t. Contact areas on the tube bundle are covered with polyurethane to prevent indentation or deformation of the heat exchanger tubes. Kelude offers standard configurations.
Q: Why is padding required when hoisting stainless steel equipment?
A: At elevated temperatures—such as during welding or heat treatment in manufacturing—carbon steel spreaders can transfer iron ions to stainless steel surfaces, causing intergranular corrosion. Nylon- or polyurethane-coated spreaders are therefore mandatory.
