07.06.2012

Manitowoc unveils test centre

Manitowoc Cranes has built a state-of-the-art facility to test and scrutinise the components that go into its cranes.

The new Product Verification Center is located at the company’s Shady Grove, facility in Pennsylvania. It will rigorously test component performance and working life cycles, in order to give engineers new insight into the anticipated performance of cranes in the field.
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The ribbon cutting ceremony opening the new test centre

It is also intended to speed up the product development phase for new designs, reduce warranty claims and down time, and allow for the direct comparison of supplier components. The centre will test designs early in the product development process, so that suppliers and components can be vetted before the products are installed in cranes.

The new test centre is managed by director Alan Calta, who leads a specially-trained staff of 41 managers, technicians and engineers. The team has implemented a verification management system to organise, prioritise, summarise, compare and archive test results.

In addition to testing components, the new facility also allows for the testing of entire cranes, with engineers able to view cranes being tested on one of the six test pads and monitor the results in real time.

The centre features a number of technologies that will deliver detailed pictures of anticipated component performance. Among the most significant are:
- A severe environment test (HALT) chamber that can mimic extreme temperature swings and test component reaction to continuous vibration.
- A walk-in temperature and humidity chamber that’s large enough to fit entire crane cabs, consoles and power boxes.
- A four-channel structural test system with advanced feedback control.
- An electrical and software testing lab.
- Imaging systems for forensic analysis, including a thermal imaging camera and microscopes.
- A materials lab with a scanning electron microscope, flaw detector and hardness tester.
- A cyclic corrosion chamber, which recreates salt water exposure and fog conditions.
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The Product Verification Center team on one of the test pads

Manitowoc president Eric Etchart said: “For Manitowoc and its customers, this new centre marks the beginning of an exciting phase in modern crane design and testing. By meticulously inspecting the quality and endurance of individual components, we will be able to reach new, unprecedented levels of quality. We believe there’s no other facility like this in the crane industry.”

Jim MacIntyre, director of global quality systems for Manitowoc, added: “It’s still very early, but we’re already seeing some interesting results. For example, we recently used thermal imaging technology when analysing engine performance on one of our industrial cranes. As a result, we adjusted the design to increase fuel economy and improve productivity. In the future, we will be able to replicate this kind of innovation on a much bigger scale.”

Manitowoc says it started planning for the centre in 2009 as part of its commitment to continuous quality improvement. The company discovered that many of its suppliers weren’t able to test their own products and when they did, the measurements were often incomplete.