Tool for the design and performance evaluation

Company name

Valente S.p.A.

project title

Tool for the design and performance evaluation of a fastening System for overhead cranes - STS: Ship-to-Shore

dimension and location

Large enterprise - Lainate (MI)

PARTNER

EnginSoft

technologies

Virtual Design and New Product Development

Since 1919, Valente S.p.A. has been operating in the design and manufacturing of machinery and plants for tunneling, mining, and railway sectors, as well as in the production and processing of components for rail-based motion systems, lifting systems, rails of all types, fastening systems, installations, and maintenance. The company stands out for the quality and precision of its innovative solutions, aimed at both national and international markets.

The problem

In the rail-mounted lifting systems market, there is currently no configurator capable of scientifically identifying and optimizing the type of rail and the necessary fastening components based on the technical specifications of the crane or lifting system. To date, these parameters have been developed based on personal experience accumulated over the years. Additionally, testing of fastening systems only certifies the capacity of a specific point (a rail segment and the two clips fixing it) and does not validate the system along its entire length, including all fastening components.

The solution

A methodological procedure has been developed to design and evaluate the performance of fastening systems for overhead cranes (Ship-to-Shore), tailored to customer-specific operational conditions.

The fastening system consists of the following components:

  • Clips.
  • Intermediate layers (pro interlayer).
  • Base plate.
  • Foundation bolts.
  • Grout.

This procedure includes the development of both a product configurator for faster and more formalized initial CAD design and structural and thermal verifications using FEM analysis, enabling detailed and virtual validation of the system.

Technologies

  • Virtual and digital analysis within the product configuration process (during the proposal phase) and project development.
  • FEM modeling: This method, combined with analytical modeling, ensures more accurate and in-depth product verification. It allows precise stress state analysis due to structural and thermal loads, fatigue life evaluation, and parameterization of the design approach for optimization and “what-if” scenarios.

The configurator provides the best design solution based on third-party customer specifications, automatically or semi-automatically linking the geometry to the parametric CAD model and FEM analysis to enable simultaneous structural, thermal, and fatigue life verifications.

Desired Impacts

The configurator developed is expected to provide Valente S.p.A. with a significant competitive advantage, particularly in foreign markets.

Positive outcomes include:

  • Increased workplace safety: Correctly identified components reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries caused by undersized parts or repeated maintenance.
  • Environmental impact reduction: Optimizing rail weight lowers pollution generated during steel production.
  • Economic advantages: Improved productivity and efficiency reduce time and material waste across technical, commercial, and production departments.

Benefits for the company

Over a 12-18 month timeframe, the configurator is expected to drive:

  1. An increase in crane rail quotation requests.
  2. Higher sales of rails and fastening systems.
  3. Growth in demand for technical assistance and consultancy on installation solutions.

These benefits could lead to a 15-20% sales volume increase. Additionally, the configurator will significantly enhance productivity by:

  • Reducing the time required by the technical office to define specifications.
  • Streamlining the commercial office’s preparation of economic quotations.
  • Improving production processes by minimizing time losses and material waste caused by design changes.

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