150-tonne ship on broad shoulders
Beams of light cut through the night whilst a striking ship is moved millimetre by millimetre across the site of Damen Shipyards Cape Town. Precision is called for here – and this is taken care of by the centrepiece of the transportation: the 12 Faymonville ModulMAX modular axle lines, put together as a 3-file combination.
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„The manoeuvrability and stability of this configuration are critical for projects of this size,“ explains Riaan Geldenhuys from THH in Durbanville, South Africa. „We are able to overcome even tight bends with it and position the ship with pinpoint accuracy.“
Precision at night
Thus began the complex relocation at night: firstly the completely assembled, 150-tonne ship was lifted in order to drive the transport combination underneath the jacked up freight. The team from THH then carefully lowered the ship onto the modules, ready for precise positioning. A special challenge awaited right at the start: the ship was positioned in the production hall in the opposite direction. „We had to turn the whole load before it could be put down at its destination point,“ Geldenhuys recalls.
The ship itself, the „Multi Cat 1908“, is 19.05 metres long, 8.36 metres wide and 14 metres high. It was built for the Transnet National Ports Authority. As a multi-purpose ship, it is used in flat waters for tasks like towing, supporting excavators, construction projects, anchor handling or maintenance work.
Modules make everything possible
All in all, the THH fleet comprises 56 ModulMAX axle lines including 12 split axles, which can be flexibly used for such 3-file combinations. In this configuration, vehicle widths of up to five metres can be created – a decisive benefit for stability and weight distribution for large and heavy units. „Thanks to the 3-file system, we were able to overcome tight bends and position the ship precisely,“ stresses Geldenhuys.
The modular design of the Faymonville ModulMAX allows the configuration to be ideally adapted to different transport requirements – be it with traction equipment or a gooseneck. As a result, THH has already moved a 117-tonne Komatsu PC1250SP, which is 16 metres long and 5.35 metres wide. As the transportation height was over 6 metres, special precaution measures had to be taken to ensure that all overhanging cables were either sufficiently high or had to be lifted. The route went from Komatsu site in Belville, Cape Town, to a mine in Brand-se-Baai.
A high payload capacity, intuitive operation and compatibility with systems produced by other manufacturers make the ModulMAX a cost-effective and efficient solution for demanding heavy duty transport jobs – as demonstrated in impressive fashion here in South Africa.