Cargo operations benefit from electric drives
The company’s MacGregor business unit believes that the new drives allow it to focus on more environmentally-responsible engineering solutions. An example of the new ‘green’ thinking is an electric-drive unit known as MacRack, described as an economical, competitive and environmentally-friendly electric-drive system that unites the lift and drive operations for side-rolling hatch covers and so makes separate hatch cover lifters obsolete. The combined rack-and-pinion drive and lifter employs an enhanced control system and one electric motor per hatch cover panel.
When opening hatch covers a lever mechanism converts the electric motor’s rotating motion into a vertical movement, providing the lifting force needed. When closing, the mechanism lowers the covers and pushes them together to achieve the correct amount of rubber compression and tightness.
MacGregor says that work on the electric-drive side-rolling hatch cover started in 2001 in response to the Japanese car industry’s ambition to make its supply chain as ‘green’ as possible. The company’s answer to this challenge was to launch the ‘E-Roll’ side-rolling hatch cover system. E-Roll’s components and control system were essentially developed from scratch because similar systems for the marine and bulk carrier environments did not exist. After extensive tests and a lengthy component selection process, the first orders were signed in 2006. Twelve ships using E-Roll systems are in service but this number is growing rapidly: another 11 shipsets of equipment are on order and about 30 more are in the pipeline.
As with all first-generation technology, improvements were needed and the development project focusing on the safety, technical limitations and cost of electric drives resulted in the launch of MacRack.
Other recent electric drive successes for MacGregor equipment includes an order for 24 electrically-operated cargo cranes for a series of eight 16,900 dwt bulker carriers being built in China for Polish shipowner Polsteam (PZM); they are scheduled for installation from the end of 2010 to 2012.
The ‘other end’ of the Japanese car company’s logistics chain is benefiting from electric drive technology too. Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) contracted Cargotec in September 2009 to supply electrically-driven MacGregor ro-ro equipment for two 6,400 unit pure car carriers (PCCs) that are under construction at Shin Kurushima Toyohashi Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Japan. Both vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2011.
MacGregor equipment for each ship will include a quarter ramp, a side ramp, and six internal ramps (including two watertight ramps). All equipment will be operated by electric winches and actuators, eliminating the use of hydraulic oil in the operating system.
“These new orders show that our customers appreciate the advantages that electrically-driven RoRo equipment offers,” says Magnus Sjöberg, sales director for ro-ro ships at Cargotec. “These advantages include reduced risk of cargo damage, as well as reduced environmental impact due to energy savings as continuous running is not required. They are also easy to monitor, and installation is easier and more cost efficient.”
2010 will see the delivery of the first pure car truck carrier (PCTC) fitted with a complete set of MacGregor electrically-driven ro-ro access equipment. The contract is also with Shin Kurushima and includes equipment for one 4,000-unit PCTC for MOL. The ship will be fitted with a stern quarter ramp, a side ramp and two internal watertight hoistable ramps, all of which will be operated and secured by electric winches and actuators.
In October 2009, Cargotec won an order for electric cranes for bulk carriers. The 30-tonne SWL MacGregor GLBE cranes are destined for eight 16,900 dwt bulk carriers under construction in China for Polish shipowner Polsteam (PZM). They are scheduled for installation from the end of 2010 to 2012.
“The order was secured when PZM, one of the world’s biggest dry bulk shipowners and operators, ordered eight bulk carrier vessels from Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineeering Co., Ltd. in China,” says Paul Söderstedt, Cargotec sales manager for bulk ships. “The crane order is a significant breakthrough in the bulk carrier market as it is important recognition of Cargotec’s new environmentally-friendly GLBE electric crane, which is based on proven MacGregor designs offering improved overall efficiency and low power consumption.”
The electric cranes inherit the familiar characteristics of several generations of MacGregor wire-luffing cranes; all machinery is enclosed within the crane housing, ensuring safe operation and ease of maintenance.
January 2010 will see Cargotec’s recently modernised manufacturing, assembly and testing plant for offshore load handling solutions in Singapore deliver its first 150-tonne capacity MacGregor offshore active heave-compensated (AHC) knuckle-jib crane. The crane, which was manufactured on site, will be fully tested at the Cargotec Marine facility prior to delivery to the Asian customer.
The company says that active heave-compensation technology is an essential function in offshore cranes and other equipment employed on vessels or floating offshore installations doing subsea work. Its Singapore location is designed to be able to deliver 10 – 20 large MacGregor offshore AHC cranes per year.
The completely revamped factory is on a 200m-waterfront site and houses 26,000m2 of indoor and sheltered workshop space, equipped with overhead gantry cranes of up to 120-tonne capacity for the manufacture, assembly, testing, repair and service of offshore load handling equipment. This includes: advanced winch systems, such as offshore, towing and anchor-handling winches; mooring systems; and large AHC offshore cranes.
The facility also offers a total of 19,000m2 open yard area with four test foundations, which enable the testing of AHC cranes and other advanced load handling solutions. In addition, the site is equipped with a heavy-duty crawler crane and a transporter for loading and moving large pieces of machinery. A 53m x 15m barge provides additional mooring capacity for the repair and servicing of vessels.
The Singapore facility will supplement Cargotec’s other centre for the design, manufacturing, testing and service of advanced offshore load-handling systems, which is located in Kristiansand, Norway.
