20 years of excellence

HSmarine-fish-farmer-210x50-aquaculture

HS.MARINE, the specialist manufacturer of marine cranes, based in Italy in a strategic area between Milan, Bologna and Verona, is preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Stefano Forni, founder and Managing Director of HS.MARINE, says: “Next year we will blow out our first 20 candles, and we will do it alongside all those clients who have given us and who continue to give us their preference. A result that in fact goes to reward the path we have decided to follow which focuses on reliability, efficiency and ‘always operational’ service, able to respond to any request in a very short time.”

“These,” continues Forni “Are the three keywords that have made HS.MARINE, a manufacturer of marine cranes, one of the main players in the market. We are definitely not the cheapest manufacturer, but we are proud to say that we are the one offering the cheapest cost of ownership.”

What is the excellent result of the Italian company based on? There is no doubt about the answer for Forni, who says: “Our business plan was based on the observation that the marine crane market was primarily made up using truck-designed cranes converted for marine use. We decided to design for the application”.

Observing the lifespan of the cranes on the marine market and the costs of servicing them at sea, not to mention the financial impact of a breakdown, HS.MARINE understood that reliability and safety were the main differences between a marine design and a so called “marinised” design.

So HS.MARINE decided to develop a specific design for the application and to focus on quality solutions and on the quality of the components.

“All crane designs,” continues Forni, “Have been specially developed and improved for operation in the marine environment with a particular attention to fish farming. All structures have been designed to take up heavy lateral forces and to have flexibility, but with a low value of deflection under load.

“All parts have been designed and protected for easy maintenance. Each crane component and each crane part has been selected and designed for long life. I repeat: ours are not former marinised truck cranes. Ours are cranes specially designed for fish farming.

“At first, they may seem more expensive, perhaps we have a premium price, but at the end we are the cheapest solution because, unlike other cranes, ours are designed to last and therefore we have the lowest cost of ownership on the market. That’s why we have so many repeat customers.”

Forni continues: “Customers agree that HS.MARINE cranes have a longer lifespan and that they are designed to minimise and simplify maintenance. At the same time the cranes’ reliability reduces the need for spares and, consequently, operational costs. In fact, the HS.MARINE design concept, the quality of the components and the surface treatment reduces maintenance and lifetime costs, simplifies the inspection activities and minimises the need for spares and recoating.”

“What is less well understood is that the safety aspects are also undeniable. To support the progress of the fish farming industry and to guarantee safety, equipment for aquaculture needs to be specially designed and developed for this application. HS.MARINE cranes are prepared for the tough marine environment and are designed and built from the ground up for marine use, with high attention to detail.”

HS.MARINE cranes can work in any configurations: no matter if the boom is fully extended vertically or if it is knuckled downwards. In every position the safe working load can be moved by any crane cylinders, including the telescopic ones. Many manufacturers of cranes originally designed for trucks state in the manual that the crane cannot work in a fully vertical position, but nevertheless they are deployed in the fish farming and their cranes are often used in such configurations.

“That is even worse,” says Forni, “Because fish farming companies have personnel close to the cranes. Not to mention that I often see cranes installed on boats that have a lower heel angle capability than that of the boat: unbelievable! I do believe that on safety aspects the fish farming industry needs to progress.”

www.hsmarine.net

Author

Keep up with us

Posted in ,
Fish Farmer March 2024 - cover

The March 2024 issue of Fish Farmer is out now online