Its modular lattice system was originally designed for lifting roofing sheets, but is now seeing demand from the global wind energy for the installation of ever-lengthening wind turbine blades and the increasing requirements for offshore installation, where monopoles, columns and structural foundations are becoming longer and heavier.
The system works in a similar way to a truss beam, says Modulift, but with added safety to meet the demands of a lifting environment. The development of the system included overcoming a number of technical issues, including asymmetric centres of gravity, minimum sling heights between the hook and spreader and the modular requirement for transporting a beam up to and over 100m-long.
In addition, the use of a lattice structure has enabled the weight of the spreader to be reduced compare to a normal beam, a critical matter when selecting a crane as they are often working at the limit of their capacity, says Modulift.
“We have been working closely with the wind energy industry over the past few months to develop a number of solutions, not only for the transporting and installing of the blades but also for the columns,” says Nick Latham, Modulift chairman.
“As their industry develops, the need for producing new lifting solutions has grown massively and we are proud to have designed and engineered what appears to be a popular solution due to its lightweight and cost-effective structural integrity over the length of the unit.”
Latham adds that Modulift’s next move will be to develop a solution for the lifting of the nacelles of wind turbines, which will result in a “complete package of lifting solutions for transportation and installation”.
