Danish wind turbine manufacturer MHI Vestas has formed a partnership with equipment manufacturer Verton, which will see the companies develop tooling that will be deployed during wind turbine installation.
Verton technology, which includes remote-control load orientation solutions, will be integrated into this specialised tooling that will be used to support MHI Vestas’ range of SMART turbine products. Specifically, the tool will handle SMART Dampers, which have been designed to reduce fatigue loads.
Managing director of Verton, Trevor Bourne, said: “Working on offshore sites is difficult enough and is further complicated using taglines to control loads during lifting operations. Our Columbus 7.5 SpinPod will be capable of precisely controlling the orientation of the custom lifting yoke and its load, including setting and holding a desired orientation, even under the most challenging conditions.
“Our remote-control solution completely removes the need for taglines and for workers to be near the landing area of loads, greatly improving safety and reducing the number of workers required. The precise orientation control will also enable lifting operations to be completed faster, which is very important in an environment where every minute saved is highly valuable,” he added.
