Enerpac Heavy Lifting Technology has developed a ‘pick, skid and drive’ strand jack gantry system for power plant maintenance activities.
Featuring a lifting capacity of 450 tons (408.2 tonnes), the strand jack gantry allows generators and turbines to be swapped out for maintenance, ensuring minimal disruption to power generation capacity, said Enerpac.
The system comprises an aerial track of skid beams and support legs; a strand jack gantry, which combines skidding and strand jack technologies; and SPMTs or an electric trolley. According to Enerpac, it is able to pick up the generator or turbine and transport it over obstacles in the power plants. The unit can then be replaced with another generator or turbine within 24 hours.
“The ability of the strand jack gantry system to effectively ‘pick, skid and drive’ the generator out of the turbine hall for maintenance is much quicker than other methods; and is less disruptive to power generation capacity,” claimed Mart Hinnen, managing director, Enerpac Heavy Lifting Technology.
“It gives specialist heavy lift contractors the ability to assist power equipment suppliers and power station operators in a wide range of maintenance tasks without the need for expensive and time-consuming civil engineering works.”