Comansa Embarks on Commercial Expansion; Upgrades Plant

COMANSA's wholly-owned subsidiary in China is geared up to meet the increasing customer requirements in China and in overseas markets for more technically advanced products. PP Basistha reports on the company's manufacturing capabilities, following his visit to its plant in Hangzhou.

Comansa's factory in China is a large-scale high-tech enterprise with an area of around 50,000 sqm. Its manufacturing facility houses an R&D centre and undertakes production, marketing and service of Flat-Top tower cranes with the world-leading technology of parent company from Spain. It adheres to the high standards of the headquarters to provide high reliability and safe products and services so that its customers can enjoy many advantages. Through technical transference, management integration, and process re-engineering, Comansa is committed to building the center of Flat-Top tower crane for R&D, production, marketing and service in the Asia-Pacific Region.

The Comansa plant, located 175 km from Shanghai at Hangzhou, is of strategic importance, as it serves the company's China markets as well as the export markets of Asia, South America and Africa. Featuring state-of-the-art manufacturing systems, the plant will catalyze the company's plans to strengthen and consolidate its position as a manufacturing hub in the country.


In 2010, the plant produced its first flat-top tower cranes - the 21 CJ 400 and 21 CJ 550. The year was crucial, as it was also when the facility was expanded, and delivered its first tower crane to India. In 2015-2016, it delivered machines to South America and Africa, and the first 'selectric' luffing crane CML 190 to the Chinese domestic market.


Informed Eleazar Raya, Group Sales Director at Comansa, "The Hangzhou facility's strategic location has been instrumental in expanding our market reach within China and to markets abroad. Its proximity to Shanghai Port has facilitated faster export of our cranes to several important global markets. The plant is also close to the Shanghai Airport, so components like gears, drives and electrical items imported from Germany, are transported faster, which speeds up our delivery time to customers."

Comansa has upgraded its China manufacturing capabilities with state-of-the-art production systems, automated processes, and new technologies, as it aims to widen its range, enhance the quality of its products, and bring in high-tech machines. It has incorporated lean manufacturing processes to speed up production and reduce wastage and costs. Over 180 skilled technicians are employed in steel cutting, fabrication, assembly, painting, component fitment, testing, etc, while the designing of the cranes is done in Spain.


"We are realigning our group's strategy to make our products more customer-oriented. Our advanced manufacturing processes will help deliver products faster and with assured availability. The plant has comprehensive cutting and fabrication of steel, procured from local sources, which meet Comansa's high standards for welding, cleaning, sand shot blasting, anti-rust treatment, and painting, and there are two hoist testing facilities. Altogether, there are 25 stages of production for producing premium quality cranes with assured higher performance, reliability and availability," said Raya.

In 2018, the plant commenced production of Comansa's 1100, 1600 and 2100 range of flat top tower cranes, which will cater to building and industrial projects. The 1100 series consists of 6 and 8-ton cranes; the 1600 series consists of 10 and 12-tons; and the 2100 series has cranes of 12 to 25 tons. At bauma China 2018, the company presented two new models of luffing-jib cranes: CML280 and CML310, designed to meet the increasing demand of 18 and 24-ton luffing jib cranes in Asia and the Middle East as these markets are seeing an increase in vertical construction. The cranes' very short counterjib radius of only 7.3 metres is an important advantage in congested sites. They will also be available in Africa and South America.

"Moving forward, we will be broadening our product range with more advanced and technically sound products and more stringent testing. We will also be increasing our sales and technical support team to meet customers' service and support requirements," added Raya.