Load cells: cranes that float and cranes that fold
Sitting alongside the snappily-named Third Millennium John Paul II Bridge in Gdansk, Poland is one of the biggest floating cranes in Europe. Originally built in Spain in 1971 and named the “Consulado De Bilbao Dos”, the crane was refurbished last year and re-named the “Conrad Consul”.
Load cells and the Conrad
The “Conrad Consul” crane has two pairs of lifting hooks, two with a capacity of 100t at the front, and two with 200t capacity at the back. However, since not all hooks can lift to their full capacity at the same time, the total capacity is 440t. Each hook sports a wireless load cell, relaying data back to the load monitoring system that can be accessed remotely, on the web, and in the crane’s cab.
Ship-shape cranes
What makes “Conrad Consul” so versatile is its ability to head out to sea under its own steam. Two propellers can power and steer the crane, enabling it to travel in open waters and therefore be available to ports across Poland and Lithuania. The crane offers lifting power for marine salvage, ship emergency response service (SERS), and wreck removal applications.
Folding cranes for tight spaces
Many site engineers working in urban areas can only dream of a fully rigged crane that travels intact from one location to another, ready to use. Now wonder then that the demand for more housing has in turn fuelled the demand for self-erecting tower cranes and mobile folding construction cranes.
For example, the Arcoment Eco series cranes can offer eight different hook heights of up to 36 metres and feature telescopic tower systems. Requiring an area just 4.8 x 4.8 to set up in, it’s not quite ‘open the box and off you go’, but it’s pretty close as these video show!
Reliable load cells for every lift
If you require replacement load cells for your cranes, or need them recalibrated, contact us. We design, build and calibrate load cells of all types, sizes and capacities, and few other load cell companies can match our experience and expertise.
Call us to discuss your requirements – we’re always happy to help.
