[WHAT’S NEW] WHAT’S NEW RADIOLINK PLUS LOAD CELL FOR ZONE 0 EXPLOSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
The explosion proof product will be assembled on a brand new production line ensuring that the force measurement, load monitoring and suspended weighing load cell manufacturer can continue to provide quick delivery to job sites around the world.
Meeting Zone 0 classification (an area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is present continuously or for long periods) is unprecedented in wireless below-the-hook force measurement technology with other suppliers providing products for use in areas categorised only as hazardous as Zone 2 (an area in which an explosive gas atmosphere is not likely to occur in normal operation and, if it occurs, will only exist for a short time).
Roshan Divakaran, design engineer at Straightpoint, who has overseen the product’s development, said: “We don’t believe there is another wireless load cell on the market that is Zone 0 certified, which makes this a tremendously significant product launch for the sectors that require such technologies. The requirements of the oil and gas industry were a primary focus throughout the design and certification process.”
The criteria of ATEX and IECEx are broadly similar, although the former is widely accepted throughout Europe, while the latter is required in many other global markets.
The ATEX version of the load cell and wireless handheld unit contains several safety components that permit its use in Zone 0 environments. A separate storage area has been created at Straightpoint’s Havant, UK headquarters and all production personnel have been specially trained in the assembly of the explosion proof units.
Straightpoint director David Ayling said: “We made a decision in early 2014 to introduce the benefits of our best selling product—the Radiolink Plus—to industries and applications where products that meet the requirements of ATEX are required to work in extremely
hazardous environments. I am delighted for Roshan and the team that we have executed our ambitious plan to launch the product early in 2016. It has been one of the biggest development projects in the history of the company and the interest we’ve already received suggests that our new production line will be kept extremely busy.”
Divakaran, working in close collaboration with the Sira Certification Service, an independent certification body, has been working on the ATEX and IECEx project since he joined the company last year.
He said: “Developing a Zone 0 product has been very challenging given the extent of the standards and safety regulations that we have had to meet as we produced documents, prototypes and the final product. Our goal was to meet this criteria whilst making minimal changes to an already excellent, well-renowned product; we feel we have been successful in achieving that.”
Ayling concluded: “A significant amount of our business comes from the oil and gas sector. The ex- plosion proof certification will vastly increase the scope of application we can serve and provides our distributors with unique selling points both in terms of the classification level and our ability to deliver the product within a few days.” y
WHAT’S NEW LIEBHERR AND TEUFELBERGER DEVELOP A HIGH-STRENGTH FIBER ROPE FOR CRANE OPERATION
Together with the Austrian rope manufacturer Teufelberger Holding AG, Liebherr is developing a new type of high-strength fiber rope for hoisting operations. This project is based on a systematic cooperative venture between Liebherr engineers from various divisions, including Liebherr-Components Biberach GmbH, as well as the three Liebherr manufacturing plants for tower cranes, mobile and crawler cranes and maritime cranes.
The practical requirements of cranes with increasingly higher hoisting heights and maximum load capacities require realignment in the rope and crane design. The high-
strength fiber rope developed after many years of collaborative work between Liebherr and Teufelberger is based on the vast experience of Liebherr in rope applications and winch
30 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016 WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
technology for multi layer spooling and the in-depth know-how of Teufelberger in the development and manufacture of fiber and steel ropes.
The use of high-strength fiber ropes offers huge potential. In comparison to steel ropes, the newly developed rope is significantly lighter and is more durable. The load capacities of the cranes can be increased thanks to the reduced weight of the rope, which also allows to reduce the mass of the hook block significantly. In addition, the ropes no longer need to be lubricated.
Liebherr is currently testing the new high-strength fiber rope. Firstly, various crane ap- plications are being simulated at the rope test bench in Biberach / Riss (Germany). Since September 2015 field tests have been carried out on various cranes of Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH, Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH and Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH.
The high-strength fiber rope will be launched on the market in two stages. Initially the steel ropes of tower cranes, mobile and crawler cranes, as well as maritime cranes, will be replaced with high-strength fiber ropes. In the second stage, with mobile cranes, for example, the weight saved at the hoist rope is used to reinforce the supporting structure. This permits a further increase in the load capacity.
At Bauma 2016 Liebherr will present the new development in a technology pavilion at its outdoor exhibition stand. The exhibit of the LR 1100 crawler crane will also be equipped with a high-strength fiber rope. Rope drums with fiber rope will also be showcased for the LTM 1750-9.1 mobile crane and the 172 EC-B 8 tower crane. y
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84