2nd Quarter 2012Electrical switching & drive systems & components
In a fine example of international cooperation, Bosch Rexroth’s Belgium subsidiary participated in an ambitious 25 million euro project that saw the construction of one of the world’s biggest ring-lifting cranes. Not only did Bosch Rexroth supply the complete drive and control concept, as lead contractor it was also charged with project management, commissioning, testing and acceptance, as well as diagnosis and condition monitoring.
Built by a Belgian specialist in transporting and handling heavy loads, Big Benny, is almost twice as tall as its namesake, the famous London landmark. A pioneering technical innovation, the 5200 ton SGC-120 crane is able to position loads with millimetre precision in spite of its gigantic dimensions, thanks to six compact, secondary controlled winches with an operating speed of 22.4 m/s that can be positioned uniformly and precisely, and operated synchronously.
The enormous slewing gear of the SGC-120 is powered by 64 A2FM Bosch Rexroth hydraulic motors, and takes an entire hour to complete one revolution. At the same time, the hydraulic motors are synchronised via a secondary controlled drive system, incorporating HNC100-SEK and MAC-8 control electronics.
Six containerised power units, each with two 280 kW diesel engines and Bosch Rexroth A4VSO axial piston pumps, supply the necessary hydraulic power. The Bosch Rexroth IndraLogic PLC handles all the control and monitoring functions.
The SGC-crane features a 3200 ton lifting capacity and three boom lengths, ranging between 90 and 120 metres. The concept includes a hook that, with its deadweight of over 100 tons, weighs as much as a fully loaded Boeing 757. Setting new standards in lifting super heavyweight loads, the ring design, with an outside diameter of 40 metres, makes for stable and reliable operating parameters, while requiring only minimal preparation of the subsoil.
The entire ring-mounted lifter is of a modular design, enabling transport in 160 stackable, 40 foot containers. After four weeks of onsite assembly, the containers are filled with locally sourced material to serve as a 3600 ton counterweight.
The enormous slewing gear of the SGC-120 is powered by 64 A2FM Bosch Rexroth hydraulic motors.
The SGC-120 is ideal for heavy lifting applications at refineries, in the petrochemicals sector, when installing oil drilling rigs, and during power station construction.
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