Case Study Straddle Carrier 70
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of Combiliſt SCs are designed to overcome a specific challenge
ELIMINATING TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES
Traditional tubular welded structures are limited to a diameter of 4.3m governed by the existing road infrastructure (such as bridge heights) when it comes to the transporta- tion of these extremely oversized loads. As Andresen’s shell tower sections are designed to be bolted together on site, they can be easily carried on ordinary trucks or in 45ft containers. Not only does this avoid extra costs for special transport and reduce disrup- tion to traffic, it also enables the shipment of towers to previously inaccessible areas. Having solved the problem of moving the sections to their destination, a further issue was how to safely and efficiently handle and store loads which can be almost 14m long, 3.3m in diameter and weighing up to 30t in and around the production facilities. This is where Combilift came in, and a two-way dialogue with Andresen’s management led to the choice of a Combilift Straddle Carrier (SC) as the one machine solution for each of the two sites. The design of each SC was adapted to take into account the slightly differing loads
“By combining our expertise with that of Combilift, we have achieved all we set out to, and within an impressively short time frame”
at Nyborg and Langeskov, the latter be- ing built with a larger frame to cope with double-stacked high-cube containers. “There were a number of options open, such as a combination of mobile cranes and traditional counterbalance forklifts or reach stackers, but Tom Andresen did not want to invest in pieces of equipment that could only carry out one specific job,” says Ulrick Staudal of Combilift Denmark. “He was also focused on the total cost of ownership, which is becoming more of an issue for customers than just the initial investment.”
WEIGHT LOSS
A major advantage of the SC compared to a counterbalance truck capable of lifting the required capacities is its much lower own weight, and therefore greatly reduced ground pressure. A counterbalance truck capable of handling a 40t load will weigh at least 50t, resulting in a tonnage of 90t when loaded. This puts extreme pressure on the ground surface, which will need special and costly reinforcement to cope. With a weight of just 18t, the combined weight of the SC and load is just 58t, which has cut out the need for any expen- sive foundation work at Andresen’s sites. “Our calculations based on a 10-year
operating lifetime took in initial capital outlay, fuel consumption, service costs and the reduction in wear and tear on the surfaces, and proved that Andresen could achieve major operational savings compared to using any other type of equipment,” says Ulrick. “The dimensions of Combilift’s SC and its three-wheel manoeuvrability enable it to access the production area to load crates containing up to seven steel shells, weighing from 1.3t to 3.25t each, which are ready to dispatch,” says Tom. “The sheer physical size of a counterbalance truck would have made this nigh-on impossible. We can then load onto HGVs without the need for a crane. In addition, the SC handles incoming containers of components we manufacture elsewhere. The spreader beam attachment with differ- ent lift points also enables us to lift varying sizes of loads. Both inside and out, the SC has been ideal for our needs and an added bonus was that it was a lot more economi- cal than any other options we looked at.”
MAKING SPACE
Combilift’s Logistic Services also as- sisted the company with layout diagrams as to the best use of available space for the storage of the finished shells in a building that is soon to be operational. As the window for installing towers on site is limited to the summer months, there is paramount need for rationalised storage of Andresen’s output for the rest of the year. This joint Irish/Danish project started in December 2011, and after just six months the operation is up and running. The first crate of shells for the new generation of An- dresen’s towers rolled off the line onto the SC and ready for shipment in mid-June 2012. Tom Andresen sums up: “One of our major goals was to offer a competitive price for our customers, and key to this was always going to be better logistics, transportation and storage. By combining our expertise with that of Com- bilift, we have achieved all we set out to, and within an impressively short time frame.” n
www.combilift.com www.shdlogistics.com Storage Handling Distribution August 2012 15
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