Eilbeck Cranes Proves its Machining Capability on 61 tonne Adjustable Slab Tongs for Bluescope Slab Yard

Mar 10, 2017 admin

“We installed the slab lifter arms this week and are now in operation and performing well. Overall, I believe that tong arms were manufactured to a very high standard.”

Peter Krellis - BlueScope Steel Maintenance Team Leader – SlabYard & ScrapYard

These are the words from BlueScope Steel Maintenance Leader, after installation of the heavy duty slab lifter tongs that Eilbeck Cranes completed for the BlueScope slab lifter yard in Wollongong.

The slab lifters in operation at BlueScope

This job was extremely laborious, and called for a very stringent fabrication and machining process. The tongs were fabricated and welded to AS1554.5 - this standard refers to the welding of steel structures subject to high fatigue loading in excess of the range covered by 1554.1.
All full penetration welding was 100% UT tested and 100% MPI tested, all fillet welds were 100% MPI tested, all subcontracted out to the NATA approved third party inspection group. Additionally, all Eilbeck welder qualifications and welding procedures were submitted to BlueScope personal for approval prior to commencing these works.

Completed slab tongues ready for dispatch from Eilbeck Machining Centre

Following fabrication, the 4 of 61.8 tonne capacity slab tongs were transferred to Eilbeck Machining Facility, where various size axles and tongs were machined on our CNC machines. The axles turned on a 4000mm between centres x 1200mm swing Goratu Lathe and tongs machined on a 9.5m Goratu bed mill with 5 axis capacity. This job proven a success, a demonstration of our Fabrication, Machine and careful Quality Assurance procedures. All in all, this job consisted of almost 1000 hours of labour!