72 Tonne Overhead Crane for Offshore Umbilical Cable Manufacturer

Nov. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- JDR Cable Systems has installed a 72 tonnes overhead crane from Street Crane Company for reel loading and unloading in their new marine cable factory.  The crane will support high volume production of multi-core umbilical cables for offshore oil and gas platforms.

Street has supplied a complete crane package comprising an 11 metres span  double girder crane (http://www.streetcrane.co.uk) and a custom built 72 tonnes VX hoist, running on a 30 metre long freestanding gantry. The gantry was installed prior to the building shell and the completed crane was then used in the assembly of the carrousel at the core of the vertical lay-up machine (VLM).  End-stops were fitted to the gantry after the carrousel was installed to protect the top part of the machine by limiting crane travel.

An integral part of the factory production process, the crane is engineered for safety and reliability.  The crane operator is able to select a position of clear visibility and safety by using a wire-free radio controller.  A conventional push-button pendant back-up control gives continuity in the event of any radio failure.  

The hoist mechanism is rated M5 allowing up to 240 motor starts per hour.  For secure cable drum handling, the hoist is fitted with a custom built coil grab. The hoist, from Street Crane’s VX series, was engineered for this application.  With inverter control it achieves smooth speed changes with maximum load stability.  Productivity is assured by the cranes top 2.6 metres per second transfer speed that can be slowed down to just 10 percent (0.26 m/s) of that speed for final load positioning.

Street Crane’s sales director, Chris Lindley Smith, said, “It is rare for an overhead crane to be installed before the building envelope, in this case it worked out well and allowed JDR to complete their project without the need for extended hire of mobile cranes.  The JDR crane is a key element in the manufacturing process, enabling this capital intensive and highly specialised operation to achieve more effective material flow and productivity.”  

Essential to the oil and gas industry, marine umbilical cables operate in the harshest environments and are custom built to combine whatever power, control, instrumentation and communication/data cables are required.  The VLM lifts cables from reels at the base of the machine and twists these with packing and support material to form the custom umbilical.  The final sheath and armour, that protect the cables from the elements and mechanical damage, are then fitted in a subsequent process.

Street Crane offer a complete range of industrial cranes operating at up to 200 tonnes safe working load.  Crane configuration is determined by the needs of the project and any limitations due to the structure or other building characteristics.  Street has experience in overcoming such difficulties.  For structures with limited load bearing they can offer overhead cranes on independent gantries or Goliath and semi Goliath cranes that transfer all or some of the weight to the workshop floor.  For workshops with limited headroom, Street provides cranes with hoists that are under slung or located between crane beams.  For hangars and other wide-span roofs that flex under wind loading, the company supply mono-beam cranes with articulated joints.


More information
Chris Lindley-Smith, Tel. +44 (0)1298 812456 Fax. +44 (0)1298 814 945
Street Crane Company, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak, SK23 0PH, UK
E-Mail: admin@streetcrane.co.uk Web:  www.streetcrane.co.uk

High resolution images at  www.ainsmag.co.uk/st165/5080st1a-reel-handling-crane.htm