Energy chains supply 16 trolleys on 15,000t shipyard crane

The superlative Goliath crane: Safe cable guidance to 16 trolleys with plastic energy chains

For this gigantic crane for shipbuilding, the manufacturer relied on a special design: no fewer than 16 crane trolleys travel here on travels of between 72 and 77m. The crane is equipped with a special crane system. This division of labour means that there are fewer cables per trolley, which allows a space-saving arrangement on the crane girder.

Profile

What was needed: Heavy Duty 4040RHD series roller energy chain
Requirements: A compact cable guidance system was sought for installation on the crane girder that would provide reliable energy and data supply for 16 crane trolleys.
Industry: Crane industry
Success for the customer: The robust Heavy Duty roller energy chains are gentle on cables and reduce the required drive energy to less than 25% compared to gliding applications.

This gigantic Goliath shipyard crane has a lifting capacity of 15,000 tonnes.

Problem

For this gigantic Goliath shipyard crane, a special solution had to be found for the cable guidance. Due to the enormous cable package with correspondingly high weight, the manufacturer decided to divide the cable load to be pulled by the 15,000t crane among 16 crane trolleys at once.
This design feature, which is rather unusual for a shipyard crane, helped to provide not only a realistic but also durable solution for the cable guidance. On the other hand, the manufacturer had to come up with something for the concrete implementation of the guidance. The goal was to find compact systems that fit on the crane girder, are robust and gentle on cables, and travel reliably.

Solution

For the implementation of this exciting large-scale project we were allowed to offer our energy chains for all trolleys. Today, exactly 16 of our Heavy Duty roller energy chain 4040RHDB series are operating here. On travels of 72 to 77m, the upper run rolls almost frictionless over the lower run and reduces the required drive energy to less than 25% compared to gliding energy chain solutions. This means that travels of several 100m can also be implemented without any problems. Various design features of the e-chain such as reinforced side parts or a stable angular stop-dog increase the stability of the chain and protect the cables. Thanks to the installed strain relief on the cables, the strain on the cables is reduced and the service life is increased.

Learn more about the 4040RHDB roller energy chain