Electric drive innovation simplifies two hatch cover operations
30 Nov 2009
A good example of Cargotec’s focus on environmentally-responsible engineering solutions is MacRack, an electric-drive innovation for MacGregor side-rolling hatch covers which combines two operations: raising a cover, and moving it sideways to open or close the hatch
Cargotec has launched MacRack, a new 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 just one electric motor per hatch cover panel.
“This is a significant advance in electric-drive technology,” highlighted Torbjörn Dahl, senior naval architect for bulk ships at Cargotec. MacRack, like the other electric drives in the company’s portfolio, provides a sustainable and efficient technological solution.
Development work is a continuous process and does not happen overnight. 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 syste ms are in service but this number is growing rapidly: another 11 ship sets 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 the breakthrough 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.
Cargotec improves the efficiency of cargo flows by offering solutions for the loading and unloading of goods on land and at sea – wherever cargo is on the move. Cargotec’s main daughter brands for cargo handling Hiab, Kalmar and MacGregor are global market leaders in their fields. Cargotec’s global network offers extensive services that ensure the continuous, reliable and sustainable performance of equipment. Cargotec’s sales totalled EUR 3.4 billion in 2008 and it employs approximately 10,500 people. Cargotec’s class B shares are quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.
MacGregor is the global market-leading brand in marine cargo handling and offshore load-handling solutions. Customer-driven MacGregor engineering and service solutions for the maritime transportation industry, and the offshore load-handling and naval logistics markets are used onboard merchant ships, offshore support vessels, and in ports and terminals.
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