Super Yacht Builder Crane Needs
The Top 5 MUST HAVE Needs of Super Yacht Builders and how Steelhead stacks up to deliver them.
1. Highest QUALITY & Performance - ALWAYS
- Steelhead HQS-DI (High-Quality Standardization with Design Integration) eliminates every major crane problem:
- If you're willing to accept some standardization in the crane design for your project, the Steelhead HQS-DI Program provides super yacht builders a huge advantage. Main benefits for super yacht builders include getting the highest quality cranes in a shorter lead time for delivery, greater reliability, superior performance, a longer warranty at a lower competitive cost. You can get a higher quality crane and get all the features you need. The end result is more certain in advance because you're able to use designs that are already tested and that have proven results. This greatly reduces the time and attention required from your design engineers and speeds up your build process.
How we make standardization work well: We've standardized key areas of our engineering designs & drawings, we've standardized our manufacturing processes and use repetitive fabrication procedures. We repeat the use of key parts and more from the highest quality materials to produce the best cranes in the world. - The "new crane design risks" that you have from other crane builders are eliminated at Steelhead. We do NOT design a new custom crane each time like many other builders. Because of HQS-DI using proven designs, we know what we're doing through REPETITION, continuous learning and INNOVATION for ongoing improvement of our technology and products.
- Experience: Steelhead has built about 1,400 high-quality cranes in the last 10 years.
- Innovation: Our track record is one of continuous innovation to constantly improve every crane we build.
- Materials: Only the best high-grade materials used: Steelhead materials are meticulously selected to the highest standards to maximize durability, strength, performance and on-board compact design. We use advanced, state-of-the-art marine grade materials to produce the lightest and strongest cranes in the industry:
- 17-4 PH Stainless Steel Truck Assemblies (equivalent strength to Aquamet 17; 4.2X stronger than 5086 aluminum or stainless). We're certified to weld 17-4pH stainless steel - a superior strength material that most builders cannot weld.
- 6061 - T6 Aluminum Main Boom Bodies (27% stronger than 5086 aluminum)
- 2205 Duplex Stainless Boom Extensions (2.2X stronger than 316 stainless)
- AMSteel Composite Rope - 40% stronger than standard steel cable. 10 Micron Stainless filter.
- CORROSION CONTROL: We use comprehensive corrosion control treatments that are the best program in the industry to extend the life of the crane.
- These include metalized steel components, 5-Step Paint System, stainless steel trim, composite bushings, gold contacts on controls, nickel-plated gear and stainless steel main truck.
- Improved Safety: Superior design and high-grade materials increase our yacht crane safety factors.
- Advanced Engineering Standards: All designs have been reviewed by independent engineering consultants, using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). This allows us to meet MCA, Lloyd's and ABS requirements upon request.
- Manufacturing Standards: All manufacturing at Steelhead is done in-house at very high standards to control consistently high quality. We have eliminated inconsistencies and production problems by producing all steps in-house...
- Our own fiberglass, paint shop, stainless & aluminum fabrication dept.,
- We build our own cylinders; have our own machine shop and crane assembly area.
- In-house engineering and design team (for new products and updates)
- Upgraded & Customized Crane Features:
- SOLAS - We have engineered a complicated casting for the Steelhead custom cranes that includes specialized cross-bracing and complete FEA. This casting has optimized our designs to make them as light and powerful as possible for SOLAS applications. Now every custom crane gets this special base for SOLAS rotation - even on Steelhead cargo cranes.
- MED - We build MED-approved rescue cranes.
2. Absolute RELIABILITY
- Steelhead delivers the world's best reliability:
- Trouble-Free Reliability: The foundation of our terrific reliability begins with our high standards for the HQS-DI Program. We design and build every crane to be trouble-free out of the box every time.
- We use specialized engineering & design work with repetition of high-quality applications to eliminate 90+% of the common problems and failures that other crane manufacturers have in their manufacturing. Process examples that create exceptional Steelhead reliability include:
- We repeat using the same valves to gain greater control over recurring problems other manufacturers have in their crane design.
- We are certified to weld 17-4pH stainless steel truck parts - a superior strength material that most builders cannot weld.
- We've learned how to get all the specialized materials we use correct, straight and accurate to eliminate problems and deliver trouble-free reliability.
- Our 2-yr Warranty is twice as long as most manufacturers'. Steelhead backs all products with an industry leading 2-year Platinum warranty. Your buyers can be reassured that they won't have problems with their crane once they own it. We're one of the few that offer a 2-yr warranty. It demonstrates our commitment to serve and support our cranes anywhere in the world. If our cranes have a problem, we solve it quickly because we stock parts for every crane - ready to ship immediately.
3. Excellent SUPPORT & Faster SERVICE Around the World:
Are you concerned about problems caused by a long distance crane manufacturer?
Let's face it - you certainly don't need more headaches in building that are caused by your crane supplier. Even worse is if problems are complicated by a long distance crane supplier that causes unacceptable delays in support or service after installation.
Steelhead provides the best support & the fastest service worldwide:
At Steelhead, we've solved the largest and most common troubling crane problems by creating a "Get It Now" Service Program for faster service and support with excellence. Here's how it works:
- Excellent Supporting Documentation at Crane delivery — when Steelhead delivers your crane, you get a complete Owner's Manual to hand over to the new owner that is well-documented with Installation Directions, parts list, identification & description and step-by-step operating instructions. In the event of any small problems, there's a Troubleshooting Guide to help solve them on the spot.
- Shipyard use — This is highly useful to the builder team from the installation through the warranty period and beyond
- Yacht Owner use — You can supply a complete and impressive package of Steelhead supporting documents to the new yacht owner at the time of commissioning.
- We offer complete support of Steelhead products from pre-installation through our 2-year warranty. Both the shipyard and the owner are in much better shape after installation!
- Faster Access to Spare Parts & Service — If needed, the shipyard or the yacht owner can get most common Steelhead crane parts within a day or two of needing them! This big advantage of great speed to fix a problem is made possible by Steelhead's manufacturing platform of high-quality standardization (HQS-DI). We stock many of the common spare parts at our Steelhead distribution centers around the world. We also keep a larger inventory stock of spare parts that can be shipped from our factory in the same or next day of ordering.
- No other crane supplier in the world is so well-equipped to provide such a high level of excellent support and service. Because of this, we greatly reduce the headaches and unwanted problems for the shipyard and the yacht owner.
- We respond. Your projects can't be held up waiting for someone to call you back. Our home office and field reps are quick to respond to your call if you need help with an installation, after-sale support or recommendations for a unique crane install. You also get help dealing with any glitches or service needs that may come up by calling customer service, 1-on-1 tech support or for on-site field rep visits when needed.
- If our cranes have a problem, we solve it quickly because we stock parts for every crane - ready to ship immediately. 24-Hr Service — 24-Hr Parts. You're not left stranded with a problem. At Steelhead we deliver great service when you need it with 2 real-time service programs. 24-Hr Service — We make extraordinary effort to answer your service inquiry within 24 hours. 24-Hr Parts— We solve problems quickly because we stock parts for every crane we ship just about ANY part within 24 hours of the order to get parts to you quickly.
- Our 2-yr Warranty is twice as long as most manufacturers'. Steelhead backs all products with an industry leading 2-year Platinum warranty. Your buyers can be reassured that they won't have problems with their crane once they own it. We're one of the few that offer a 2-yr warranty. It demonstrates our commitment to serve and support our cranes anywhere in the world.
- Global Service Network. Steelhead provides worldwide service, sales support and distribution with offices on 5 continents as well as service and support direct from the factory. We are adding more qualified, professional distribution and support locations in key strategic areas on an ongoing basis.
4. Quicker DELIVERY in One-Half the Time:
Steelhead eliminates the long lead times:
We've eliminated the problem of extremely long lead time. We deliver cranes in about one-half the time of other manufacturers. Thanks to our HQS-DI Program foundation of manufacturing, we've greatly reduced the months-long lead time on our key crane components that are the slowest to get, so we can build and ship faster. Some examples:
- Crane Trucks - eliminated 4 months of wait time
- Crane Bearings - eliminated 1 year of wait time
- Drawing Approvals - eliminated nearly 3 months of wait time by building a library of approved drawings
5. COMPETITIVE Pricing:
Steelhead delivers the highest quality cranes at a very competitive price:
- You need competitive prices to control costs. Other crane manufacturers charge extra for "adding" the crane features buyers want that Steelhead offers in our "standard" models.
- Some examples of Steelhead standards that cost extra elsewhere include... 2-year warranty, 10-micron Stainless Filter - standard on SM1500 & up, AMSteel Composite Rope - 40% stronger than standard steel cable, Silent linear winch system, Custom colors, No up-charges are required for engineering costs.
- Even with our much higher quality product, our pricing for a similar quality crane is very competitive with other crane manufacturers.
- Exchange rate advantage: Currency exchange rates in Canada are very favorable to global yacht builders that gain a powerful buying advantage and that lowers your overall cost.