Many crane service technicians know me from our in-person training or from our Tech Tip Videos on the Demag Cranes North America YouTube channel. Although we do not conduct in-person training any longer, we have been working to deliver digital content. Our Tech Tip videos and blog posts help you conduct the common service tasks on the Demag hoists and drive motors. Long before I came to work for Demag, I worked for a prominent machine builder in the pipe industry, also known for supplying turnkey pipe processing factories at greenfield sites around the world.
I started on the other side of the table.
While working for this company, I spent my time presenting my lifting and material handling needs to my Demag representative. Our clientele was primarily in Asia. Demag was a well-respected brand in the heavy industry sector in this area of the world. My first step was to create the technical and commercial proposals for these projects, which included overhead lifting.
Due to my positive experiences with Demag products in the past, if anything needed to be lifted, it was going to be with a Demag hoist. These projects required tooling changes. When I was an application engineer, I included several Demag 20T overhead cranes with tandem DH wire rope hoists and jib cranes at every tooling change location with model DK chain hoists.
I became responsible for the commissioning.
One thing led to another, and my duties for the projects required travelling onsite to supervise installation, start-up, and commissioning of the equipment at the factories. The company I worked for was responsible for the equipment until prove-up production testing was completed and the sign-off was received from the customer. In the factory, the overhead cranes removed rejected pipes during processing and the jib cranes were used for tooling changes.
Overhead cranes were installed first so the floor mounted equipment could be set in place and aligned easily. Normally, installation of the equipment took 6 months to accomplish, followed by electrification, testing, and debugging. Lastly, testing was conducted for proof of quality and production rate, a timed test. Since the Demag overhead cranes removed the rejected pipe that accumulated throughout the processing lines, they were required to be timely and efficient. The chain hoists on jib cranes were also put through their paces for the frequent tooling changes, occurring when end-finishing steel pipe and tapping couplings with threads.
My experience with Demag products was a great one, experiencing no breakdowns or issues where the crane was not ready for use on time. The DKUN chain hoists performed equally well. It is the testimony not only to the equipment, but also to the work completed by the electrification crews during installation. Demag equipment installed was top-notch, and the people I worked with were top-notch professionals.
It was time to move on.
As the factory projects ended, I wanted to work for Demag and since I had such a good experience with the equipment, I wanted to work for the company. I was able to go to Germany to stay with an acquaintance from my factory projects. My visit included several Demag facilities in Germany and I met with people I had been introduced to during these projects. Upon my return home to the USA, I was fortunate to live close to the Demag location in the Cleveland, Ohio area, where they were searching for a Technical Trainer.
25 Years later
The rest is history, and I joined the company in 1998. For many years, we conducted in-person training seminars where 200-300 students from our dealer network would attend each year. With the COVID epidemic, in-person training was shut down and our efforts shifted to making these resources available online. You can find our resources on our YouTube channel. Demag Cranes North America, and the Demag blog. No matter how you prefer to consume the information, through video or reading, you have accessible resources to be more efficient for your customers.
Your viewership and positive response have been overwhelming as we made the transition to digital resources the last 3 years. I hope these resources have helped you efficiently diagnose and service Demag equipment. If you haven’t tuned into our videos on our YouTube channel, Demag Cranes North America, click to see them. Keep your eye out here on the blog as we release new service articles every month or so.
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Note from the Editor
Andy and I started transitioning service content into digital delivery a year before COVID. Our Tech Tip videos launched on our YouTube channel just as our workforce, and many workforces throughout the US and Canada, were sent to work from home. Timing was perfect from that standpoint. Our goal has been, and continues to be, to deliver this content so you can continue educating yourself and ultimately serve your customers better.
There is no one more passionate about crane safety and the efficient service of Demag products than Andy. It’s been an honor to learn from Andy the last 5 years and I know many of you can say that too, some even longer than me. Thank you for tuning in to our technical focused blog posts and our Tech Tip videos. We look forward to releasing more and helping you service your customers into the future!
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- From Customer to Demag USA Technical Trainer - May 9, 2023
- Diagnosing Additional Error Codes on Demag CANBUS Hoists and Cranes - March 28, 2023