Research and development

Konecranes makes innovative use of technology in developing both new lifting solutions and its service offering. One of our six key strategies is to differentiate our business through an innovative approach to service and technology, and we believe that Konecranes’ commitment to preventive service is an excellent example of what we mean here. We develop our service offering continuously to further enhance the customer experience. Our service contract base, which covers more than 375,000 items of equipment today, together with our 3,466 service technicians, give us a unique competitive edge, and one that also contributes to growing our equipment sales. We service both Konecranes-supplied equipment and equipment supplied by other manufacturers; and the some 1.6 million customer contacts we have annually
give us an excellent opportunity to stay up-to-date with our customers’ needs.

We have systematically increased our R&D investments. Safety and quality are particularly high priorities for us, and progress here calls for both development work and the right mind-set. Material handling systems are an integral part of our customers’ processes, which is why our expertise in areas such as automation can play a key part in helping them improve their productivity. We further developed our capabilities in this area in 2010.

The Konecranes Group spent EUR 21.5 million on research and product development in 2010, equivalent to 1.4 percent of net sales.

SMARTON® broadened the platform

We launched the Konecranes SMARTON industrial crane concept in 2009, and extended the SMARTON product family in 2010 to cover all application areas. The project has generated numerous patentable innovations and many of the capabilities that have been developed under its umbrella have been incorporated into other Konecranes products.

The SMARTON crane re ects our promise to lift customers’ businesses. The unique folding maintenance platform incorporated into these units makes them compact and helps customers save on building and heating costs. The digital control technology used provides very accurate control and virtually eliminates sway-related problems and shock loads, improving user safety and ease of operation. A remote connection to Konecranes’ technical support center ensures that detailed, up-to-date data is available on crane operations and helps eliminate unplanned service outages. Depending on configuration, a SMARTON crane can lift anything from 30 tons to 500 tons.

Konecranes’ product offering was extended during 2010, with the introduction of a range of higher-capacity lift trolleys for the Group’s power brands. Customers can expect new product announcements from Konecranes at the CeMAT trade fair in Hannover, Germany, in 2011.

Global cooperation in product development

The RailQ measurement and analysis service launched in 2010 is a good example of a particularly successful product development project and the value of cooperation with customers, research institutions, and universities. The project developed new measuring equipment and leveraged advanced skills in radio technology, electronics, and software.

Efficient networking and in-depth know-how played an important part in the smooth management of the project and the progress it made. Konecranes’ product development personnel were responsible for overall management and developing and customizing the new software needed. The development of the measurement trolley is a good example of cooperation with an external research institute. Involving maintenance personnel in the project from the start made it possible to get the product out into the field quickly.

The RailQ system can help prevent the need for expensive repair work on customers’ cranes by keeping crane runways in optimum condition. Runway measurements used to take an average of eight hours, and this has now been cut significantly, reducing the amount of time a crane needs to be out of action. RailQ immediately provides a 3D image of the runway and a detailed analysis of any repairs needed. Compared to conventional methods, RailQ helps improve safety significantly.

Global cooperation played a key role in the success of the RailQ project, which was given the internal Konecranes Development Award 2009 in spring 2010.

Making more of innovation

The importance of making more of innovation was raised to a new level across the Konecranes Group in 2010. The aim is to develop, harmonize, and extend common practices and procedures for collecting and refining our best ideas to benefit both Konecranes’ own business and our customers’ businesses. We have continued to strengthen our internal channels for developing viable new ideas and foster an atmosphere that encourages people to tell others in the organization about their ideas – to help make innovation an integral part of our day-to-day management and routines.

Konecranes’ innovation work is not only focused on products, technologies, and service solutions, although these are the most obvious outward re ection of what we do in this area. We also want to develop new ways of working, internally and throughout our supply chain, together with new business models that can benefit our customers’ operations.

A good example of what we mean here is the closer way that we are now beginning to integrate our suppliers in our innovation work. The Early Supplier Involvement initiative has already resulted in a number of innovative new solutions, helped enhance product development, and improved product manufacturability.

The safety innovation project launched in the spring is another example of what we are doing to promote innovation. A Group-wide competition was announced in April as part of the project and attracted ideas and solutions for improving the safety of our working methods, tools, products and services.

Safety is always our number-one priority

In addition to cutting-edge technology, safety is always a key area of focus for Konecranes’ research and product development work. Environmental issues also play an important role and are taken into account throughout the life cycle of Konecranes’ products. Particular attention is given to issues such as ef cient material usage, recyclability and energy efficiency.

Industrial design forms an important part of the product design process, and helps set our products apart from those of our competitors – and enables us to incorporate greater efficiency, user-friendliness, cost savings, and new materials into our products.

We are also committed to being an attractive employer to young people, and many of the students who do their diploma theses at Konecranes go on to pursue careers with us after graduation.