Belgium-headquartered heavy transport engineering and lifting specialist Sarens has introduced its CS350 climbing system – the latest in a new generation of bottom-feeding jacking systems.
Developed in house, the CS350 follows on from the success of the CS5000 and CS1000 systems. Sarens said that it analysed the existing solutions on the market and identified its desired specifications in terms of vertical and horizontal capacity, footprint, minimum height, self-weight, operating speed, ease of maintenance, among others.
The system has a 350-tonne lifting capacity, 7 percent allowable side load and a low starting height. It has a 3.6 m per hour lifting speed and ground-level access to the element feed system and base unit hydraulic systems.
The bottom-feeding design eliminates the need to work at height, reducing the risk to the health and safety of the operators.
Another unique aspect of the CS350, said Sarens, is that it can raise loads 6 m without the need for bracing. For jacking above a 6 m element stack, a bracing system can be installed to brace between adjacent CS350 element stacks, or between an element stack and the load.
The CS350 was developed between UK-based TS Engineers, 3D computer-aided design (CAD) company RDTS, and equipment engineers based in Wolvertem. Sarens said that subcontractors with specialist knowledge in steel fabrication, cylinder manufacture, and hydraulic component layout provided valuable insights throughout development.
Operators, equipment engineers, and RDTS engineers provided design input to ensure the CS350 would be robust, as well as easy to use and maintain. The development team designed the CS350 to be economical to transport, ensuring its weight and size would allow for two bases to be transported by a single truck.
The CS350 also includes a feed system and jacking element handling crane. This allows the user to feed in or take out elements during a jacking operation efficiently.
Sarens believes that the new system will be well suited to positioning work where timing is important, along with bridge installation and removal projects.
