Ematec has developed its EMT lifting system – a traverse arrangement for stabilising and manipulating heavy loads weighing up to 250 tons (226.8 tonnes).
Acting as an intermediate piece between the crane hook and the load, the system is suitable for a wide range of applications, said the under-the-jib equipment supplier, including in the petrochemical, power plant construction and wind energy sectors.
“We got the idea for our new traverse [system] on the construction site, where rotor blades were mounted with a rotor blade lifter developed by us,” said Manfred Eberhard, ceo of Ematec Corporation. He added that this existing method is quick and efficient but, for each additional component of the wind turbine, a separate gripping and assembly tool was required.
“Whether it was the hub, the nacelle or the generator, each time a new lifting tool had to be installed to the crane. The effort was enormous and the set-up times were considerably exceeding the actual mounting costs. That was when we came up with the idea of developing a flexible traverse fixed to the crane hook and to which various adapters could be attached and exchanged in a quick and easy way.”
At both ends of the EMT system, a telescopic extension with 65 m-long chains is attached to roller blocks; two independent chain drives allow the components to be precisely manoeuvred and stabilised during lifting, positioning and assembly.
Four adapters have been designed for the system: one can mount a rotor blade to the hub, while other units can be used to mount a complete rotor star, nacelles and generators. Ematec added that custom adapters can also be manufactured for specific requirements. “It is our speciality to develop the perfect solution for each field of application of our customers on a project-related basis,” concluded Eberhard.
