UK lifting and logistics technology systems manufacturer Easylift is poised for a breakthrough into the global offshore crane operations market, with the launch of its latest generation Remote Control Release System (RCRS) and a distribution agreement with Certex UK.
The device works by actuating a hydraulic ram in the bottom of the hook that pushes the load off from beneath.
The RCRS Mark III, patented in the UK, US and Norway, was developed with financial backing from Shell Expro, in response to the offshore industry’s aim to reduce accidents and dangerous occurrences involving lifting equipment by 15% by 2010.
The new remote release hook system is designed to improve safety conditions during lifting procedures by distancing personnel from sling release operations on the decks of ships and offshore platforms. Tests on the equipment in Norway have also shown a 25% increase in machine and crew productivity.
Speaking at the RCRS product launch, at Certex UK’s Aberdeen premises in December, Easylift executive director Philip Leone claimed his company’s latest product was ‘head and shoulders – indeed several body lengths’ above other remote control release products on the market. This was a direct reference to the Remote Release System (RRS) produced by Hamilton Safety Enhanced Tools (Hook enhancement May 01, p31), a product which shares its roots with the RCRS.
The RCRS Mark III is designed for safe, high-volume crane operations in the harshest offshore environments, with a downsized 12t hook, built to provide improved stability in strong winds, DNV certified for 10t SWL offshore and load tested to 26t. A Motorola Zone 1 multi-channel telemetry system enable hook release from a distance of up to 500m.
Other features include: the use of a single hydraulic circuit to control the hook ejector plate (ensuring a return to open aperture mode, thereby rendering the equipment failsafe even in the event of a total hydraulic failure); a control module that accumulates hydraulic energy mechanically during a lift to power the hook’s ejector plate (one lift of 300kg generates energy for five hook releases); and a 30mm-thick steel control module housing a dry cell battery.
‘Hydraulic energy generated through load means there is no need for pumps, motors or compressed gas, thereby reducing maintenance, storage, handling, training and the risk of accidents,’ said Leone.
Future applications may include the release of fast-rescue crafts from vessels, as well as subsea lifting operations in deep water.
Certex UK will distribute the RCRS for rent through its 130 branches in 22 countries. It will be available through a full service rental plan – including training, repair & maintenance, and annual inspection & certification – on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. Although unwilling to discuss precise figures, Leone hinted the package would cost ‘less than £100 [$150] a day’.