Mammoet has finished the fabrication of the Focus 30 crane’s erection frame – a vital piece of the system that allows the boom to be constructed vertically, in sections.
Machining and welding of the erection frame’s main steelwork has finished; it has been built in six pieces, which will be dismantled and transported to Mammoet’s Westdorpe facility in the Netherlands.
Measuring 30m long, 12m wide and weighing in at 160 tonnes, the frame is the largest single-piece item being fabricated for the Focus 30. The complete erection system will weigh in excess of 180 tonnes once other parts are taken into consideration, including the climb frame and skid beam.
By supporting boom sections vertically, the erection frame helps to reduce the space required for the crane’s construction, while making sure none of this work takes place over surrounding crucial infrastructure. This assembly process is less complex, safer and more efficient, according to Mammoet.
HLPFI reported that the first steel was cut for the Focus 30 during October 2019. Work started on the erection frame back in November 2019 at PTS Machinery – a heavy construction company based in Hulst, the Netherlands. From design blueprints supplied by Mammoet, the PTS Machinery team undertook detailed engineering of the main frame and crane landing, which provides on-foot access to the frame itself.
Following this, PTS Machinery began the fabrication of the frame at its onsite workshop. Mammoet’s senior lead engineer, Erik Visser, said: “As a high-tech manufacturer of all kinds of machinery, PTS Machinery was selected to build this ‘machine inside the machine’. Its attention to detail and quality make it the right partner to supply this vital component for the Focus 30.”
Work on the crane is continuing to schedule; its first deployment is expected later this year.
A video of the Focus 30 crane and its capabilities can be seen here.
