Meltech Cranes has strengthened the performance and efficiency of its crane portfolio by integrating regenerative drive technology from ABB, supporting safer and more energy-efficient material handling across heavy industries. Meltech manufactures overhead travelling (EOT) cranes and other material handling equipment for sectors such as steel, aluminium and cement, where cranes play a critical role in moving extremely heavy and hazardous loads. From molten metal and large coils to raw materials and finished products, these applications demand high levels of reliability, precision and safety, often under harsh operating conditions.
To meet these requirements while responding to growing pressure on manufacturers to reduce energy use and emissions, Meltech has adopted ABB’s ACS880 regenerative drives. The technology enables accurate crane motion control while recovering braking energy that would otherwise be lost as heat and returning it to the electrical network for reuse elsewhere in the plant.
Meltech supplies cranes to customers across India, including facilities operating continuously in demanding outdoor and high-temperature environments. By incorporating ABB’s regenerative drives, the cranes deliver smoother operation, improved positioning accuracy and reduced overall energy consumption. The approach supports Meltech’s focus on robust engineering and long service life while helping end users lower operating costs.
According to Meltech, the drive integration improves both performance and system simplicity. ABB has supplied more than 20 ACS880 regenerative drives for use at India’s largest integrated special alloy steel plant, where they are installed on heavy-duty slag-handling grabbing cranes and coil-handling EOT cranes designed for round-the-clock operation.
The drives feature dedicated crane control programs and are integrated with ABB’s AC500 programmable logic controller and crane software. This provides built-in functions such as position control, anti-sway operation and safety features without the need for additional external components. As a result, system complexity and footprint are reduced while supporting coordinated hoisting, long travel and cross travel movements.
The drives also generate very low harmonic distortion without requiring additional filters and continuously collect motor data that is communicated to the PLC in real time. This enables accurate sequencing of crane movements and allows operators to monitor key parameters such as speed and load through the control system.
From an energy perspective, the regenerative capability of the ACS880 drives allows braking energy to be fed back into the plant power network rather than dissipated. This energy can be reused by other equipment, helping facilities reduce electricity consumption and associated carbon emissions.
By combining precise motion control with energy recovery and a simplified system architecture, Meltech and ABB are addressing the evolving needs of heavy industry, where productivity, safety and sustainability are increasingly interlinked.
