Ter Linden had pointed out to Nooteboom that blades on wind turbines have now increased in length from a maximum of 45m to around 60m. This poses a problem when manoeuvring around roundabouts, and is virtually impossible, the transport company says, using trailers with turntable steering.
Nooteboom’s new semi-trailer features pendle steering. So, rather than each wheel pair steering around a point at the middle of the axle, each wheel is individually steered around a point above the wheel. The three axles can be moved backwards and forwards together, extending the wheelbase by up to 7m. The height of the carrier can be raised by up to 70cm, using mechanisms on the wheels and gooseneck. All of these features make the carrier better suited for manoeuvring around obstacles on the road, like roundabouts, and on the rough landscapes of wind turbine installation sites.
Roland Ter Linden said, “We asked Nooteboom to develop a semi-trailer that can give us the assurance that from now on the transport of rotor blades measuring around 60m in length will only be limited by the length of the blade itself, and not by the limitations of the trailer. With the Super Wing Carrier Nooteboom has succeeded in doing exactly that.”
Manufacturers Vestas and Siemens both told Nooteboom they are pleased with the design.
