350 Ton Shipbuilding Gantry Crane for Dalian Hengli Shipbuilding Base

Resumen del proyecto

The self-developed 350-ton shipbuilding gantry crane manufactured by Weihua has completed main girder hoisting at Dalian Hengli Shipbuilding Base and entered the critical phase of general assembly and commissioning. The project has fully stepped into the delivery preparation and acceptance stage.

Once officially commissioned, this heavy-duty goliath crane will support mass construction of high-end vessels in China. Together with the whole batch of lifting equipment under this contract, it will cover core working procedures including hull block assembly and outfitting transportation. The whole equipment package serves the construction of high-value vessels such as VLCC, VLAC, Cape-size bulk carriers and large container ships.

Against the global trend of green and large-scale shipbuilding, modern shipyards raise higher standards for heavy lifting equipment stability and systematic equipment coordination. This landmark project further consolidates Weihua’s leading position in ship and offshore engineering heavy lifting solutions.

Client Requirements

As the client rolled out large-scale capacity expansion for new vessel orders, the shipyard faced multiple practical pain points during facility planning:

1. Need one heavy gantry crane with large span and sufficient lifting height to realize lifting, horizontal moving and in-air turnover of huge hull blocks, which is the core procedure for hull closing.
2. Equipment must operate reliably under northern coastal harsh conditions: strong wind, temperature fluctuation and humid marine climate. Anti-wind, anti-seismic and anti-collision safety performance was listed as non-negotiable requirement.
3. The shipyard planned unified upgrade of dry dock logistics system, instead of purchasing single lifting machine. They expected a full set of coordinated lifting equipment covering the whole workflow from block fabrication to vessel outfitting.
4. Long-term stable operation, reasonable self-weight control and lower foundation load to avoid extra investment on civil engineering of dry dock.

After rounds of technical comparison and supplier review, the client confirmed bulk procurement of 63 sets of lifting equipment, including 350t shipbuilding gantry crane and 250t overhead travelling crane.

Weihua Customized Solution

Weihua technical team delivered a targeted systematic heavy lifting plan matching the client’s shipbuilding layout and vessel construction roadmap:

1. Develop tailor-made 350-ton heavy duty gantry crane adopting lightweight optimized structural design. The design balances overall dead weight, structural rigidity and long-term operational stability.
2. Configure multi-layer redundant safety protection system to adapt complex coastal working environment in Dalian.
3. Supply a complete equipment portfolio consisting of shipbuilding gantry cranes and heavy overhead cranes, forming a matched logistics system inside dry docks.
4. Arrange phased manufacturing, delivery and on-site assembly schedule, coordinating with the shipyard’s overall infrastructure construction timeline to avoid construction conflict.

Main Equipment Specification – 350 Ton Shipbuilding Gantry Crane

• Rated Lifting Capacity: 350 tons
• Overall Span: 96 m
• Lifting Height: 28 m
• Core Functions: Lifting, horizontal travelling, cargo transportation, hull block aerial turnover
• Applicable Scenarios: Hull block assembly, large section closing for VLCC, VLAC and big container ships
• Operating Environment: Northern coastal shipyard, anti-wind, anti-seismic, salt fog resistance
• Supporting Equipment under the contract: 250t overhead travelling crane and other auxiliary lifting machines (total 63 sets)

Equipment Advantages

1. Lightweight Structural Design

The crane structure is optimized through finite element analysis and design verification to reduce self-weight while maintaining required strength and rigidity. The optimized structure reduces foundation load requirements and minimizes civil construction requirements.

2. Multi-level Safety Protection System

The equipment is equipped with wind resistance devices, seismic protection modules, anti-collision systems and anti-overturning mechanisms. Multiple safety measures ensure reliable operation under complex marine working conditions.

3. Integrated Heavy Lifting Function

The crane integrates lifting, transportation and aerial turning functions for large hull blocks. It is applied in hull assembly, block handling and closing operations to improve shipbuilding process continuity.

4. Coordinated Lifting System Configuration

The crane is designed to operate together with 250t overhead cranes and other yard lifting equipment. The coordinated configuration forms an efficient material handling system within the dry dock area.

5. Marine Environment Adaptability

Based on long-term applications in coastal shipyards, the crane adopts marine-grade electrical systems, protective coatings and corrosion-resistant components. The equipment is designed for continuous operation in high humidity, strong wind and salt spray environments.

Proceso de Comunicación

The project communication went through clear progressive phases, forming stable mutual trust between both parties.

At the early stage, Weihua technical sales team visited the shipyard site repeatedly, surveyed dry dock dimensions, analyzed vessel construction flow and sorted out potential difficulties of large block hoisting. We exchanged technical drafts many times to adjust crane span, lifting height and safety configuration according to the client’s future ship type planning.

During technical negotiation, the client expressed concerns about equipment stability in coastal strong wind seasons and coordination among multiple cranes. Our R&D team submitted detailed structural calculation reports and safety scheme documents to respond all technical queries.

Relying on plenty of successful references in shipbuilding heavy lifting industry, the client finally made the decision of centralized bulk procurement of 63 sets of equipment, instead of purchasing scattered lifting machines from different suppliers.

After order confirmation, both sides set up regular online and offline meeting mechanism to synchronize manufacturing progress, packaging plan, delivery sequence and on-site assembly arrangement. Timely information communication guaranteed smooth advancement of each milestone including main girder transportation and on-site hoisting.

Team Service Support

Weihua assigned a dedicated cross-functional project team covering sales, mechanical R&D, electrical engineering, production supervision, logistics and after-sales service.

During manufacturing, quality inspectors tracked key welding, component assembly and factory test progress to guarantee compliance with design standards. When the equipment arrived at Dalian Hengli Shipbuilding Base, professional technical supervisors coordinated the whole main girder hoisting and guided general assembly work on site.

The team provides continuous technical support through commissioning phase. After formal handover, long-term spare parts supply, periodic maintenance guidance and remote technical diagnosis service will be available for the whole service life of the cranes. The full lifecycle service model helps the shipyard reduce equipment downtime risk during intensive vessel construction.

Project Summary

The cooperation proves that shipyards now demand not only single heavy crane products, but integrated systematic logistics solutions for shipbuilding production. With independent R&D capability, mature lightweight structural technology and comprehensive safety design, Weihua meets the higher requirements brought by large-scale and green transformation of global shipbuilding.

Once fully put into operation, the whole lifting equipment cluster will boost the client’s manufacturing capacity for high-end vessels. As a core supplier of high-end heavy lifting machinery, Weihua will keep empowering shipyard capacity upgrade with reliable heavy lifting solutions, helping marine industry participants turn vessel order backlog into steady delivery performance amid fierce global competition.

Get Custom Shipbuilding Lifting Solutions from Weihua

Are you looking for reliable, high-performance shipbuilding gantry cranes and systematic heavy lifting solutions for your shipyard expansion, hull block assembly and marine engineering projects? Weihua delivers customized crane design, professional on-site installation, full lifecycle after-sales support and cost-effective heavy lifting equipment tailored for coastal complex working environments and high-end vessel manufacturing needs. Contact Weihua today to get a free technical consultation and precise equipment quotation for your next shipbuilding project.