The latest order is for 30 six-axle units and six four-axle units. In the past, Sarens has regularly invested in the continuous development of its modular transporter fleet. The company placed an initial order in 1985 for a total of four platform elevating trucks complete with hydrostatic drives. This was followed in 1989 with the first order for two four-axle SPMTs. This resulted in a continuous expansion of the firm’s SPMT fleet in the following years. Together with the latest delivery, Sarens now has a transportation capacity of more than 21,500 tons at its disposal. This means the company is capable of transporting 36 fully-loaded A 380 super jets at one time.
In point of fact, although the vehicles are actually used now and then for transporting airplanes, their main job however is for moving large industrial plant or, for example, the transport of complete bridges. Wherever a petro-chemical plant is to be built somewhere in the world, crane and transportation solutions are required which Sarens is in a position to provide. Pressure tanks or reactors weighing hundreds of tons must be positioned extremely accurately right down to the last millimetre. In the offshore industry, complete oil drilling installations are pre-assembled on shore and then transported on floating pontoons. Today, loads ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 tons are no longer unusual. The shipbuilding industry is also increasingly relying on the flexible use provided by modular transporters. Depending on the weight of the ship components to be transported, corresponding transporter combinations can be configured.
Kamag modular transporters are available in two-, three-, four-, or six-axle configurations. The hydrostatic drive turns the heavy load units into strong but nevertheless easily controllable vehicles. Energy for the drive unit itself is supplied by a so-called power pack which is installed on the front side of a row of transporters. The pressure oil, which is needed for the electronically-controlled steering as well as for lifting and lowering the loading area, is likewise generated in the power pack.
Here, a diesel motor actuates hydraulic pumps which force the oil through pressure lines and hoses to the designated system. Once there, the hydraulic pressure is converted into steering or driving movements. The pressure oil also ensures that lifting operations of the load can be carried out. High performance hydraulic cylinders, which are integrated in the pendulum axle wheel sets, provide the appropriate lift as well as axle compensation during the transportation phase.
