DROMEC Winches Supplies Winch System for FLEET CLEANER Delft

FLEET CLEANER Delft specializes in cleaning seafaring vessels in ports such as Rotterdam, focusing on efficiency during the loading and unloading processes. DROMEC Winches has supplied a winch system for the work vessel Thunderbird 4 of FLEET CLEANER, enabling environmentally friendly cleaning of ship hulls.

 

Umbilical System

Onboard FLEET CLEANER’s work vessel, a crane with a remote-operated robot, known as the ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle), is positioned. This robot is controlled remotely and connected via an umbilical cable to the system provided by DROMEC. Within this umbilical bundle, hydraulic, electrical, and data cables are integrated, along with a wastewater hose, allowing for eco-friendly water discharge. The winch is suitable for ATEX environments, enabling FLEET CLEANER to clean oil and chemical tankers as well.

 

Mechanical Coupling

DROMEC Winches’ winch system can spool up to 180 meters of umbilical cable. The fully electrically powered system boasts a pulling capacity of 2.5 tons and a holding force of 4.5 tons. The cable can be reeled in at a speed of 30 meters per minute. DROMEC Winches has specially developed a mechanical coupling on the cable guide, which is detachable, allowing FLEET CLEANER to manually adjust the cable. This feature proves particularly useful for the umbilical cable, which may not always maintain a consistent shape.

 

ATEX Certification

Jan Willem, engineer, explains,
“While this winch system has the size of a container, it is very straightforward to operate with just two buttons on the control panel for speed and winding. All components are ATEX-certified, except for the control unit located below deck. An interesting development is that DROMEC Winches now also develops winches with full ATEX certification, including control units. DROMEC has already developed a wide range of umbilical winch systems, providing us with a diverse selection of models.”

Electric buckle detector winch

Jaap Wijsman, Senior Technical Inspector at Allseas, shared his experience regarding DROMEC:

“DROMEC responds promptly and actively engages in problem-solving when presented with a question, leveraging their knowledge and extensive experience.

Moreover, they adopt a flexible and customer-oriented approach when translating ideas into a high-quality product, harnessing the power of simplicity. As a customer, you have ample freedom to incorporate your ideas into the design.

One of the remarkable aspects of Dromec is that they have everything in-house, including the entire control system. In addition to precise design, they also strictly adhere to the agreed-upon delivery date, followed by a comprehensive Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) in the presence of Allseas.

Lastly, they provide highly detailed documentation, allowing us as customer to look back on this process with satisfaction.”

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DROMEC Winches constructs winch system for megadoor Smulders UK

Smulders is an international steel construction company operating in the onshore and offshore sectors. For a new production facility in Newcastle, DROMEC Winches at the request of ASAV lifting- and hoisting technology has developed an advanced winch system for an impressive megadoor.

Megadoor

The impressive production facility stands at a height of 36 meters and a width of 47.5 meters, equipped with a megadoor operated by two powerful winches on each side. The megadoor consists of steel panels divided into sections, hanging from the steel structure. The advanced winch systems effortlessly lift the panels upward or lower them downward, ensuring perfect alignment during opening and closing. Additionally, the winches can be operated independently for added safety or in case of a malfunction. The winch system has the capacity to hoist a weight of 135 tons on a single cable.

Winch System

The two winches are strategically positioned on either side of the megadoor. The cable runs up and over multiple pulleys on one side and descends to a fixed point on the other side. The system is precisely mirrored on the opposite side. Both winches operate synchronously to maintain the desired speed during the opening and closing of the megadoor. The winch system has a pulling force of 19 tons and can handle peak loads of up to 38 tons. In situations where the winches need to bear the weight or during emergencies, the system operates at a lower speed to ensure safety.

 

Jesper Becks from Smulders:
“The installation of the megadoor was a complex process that required a combination of technical expertise and practical experience. Given our specialization in steel construction, we relied on DROMEC as a reliable partner for the supply and installation of the electromechanical components. DROMEC handled the entire process, from the engineering of the winches and lifting mechanism to the installation. Transparency, flexibility, and safety were paramount at every step. Thanks to DROMEC’s technical knowledge and flexibility, the installation of this impressive 135-ton megadoor went smoothly. The successful and safe completion of the installation is a significant milestone in this project.”

 

Controls

Both winches can be easily operated using a control panel or a button. The control system includes a switch to detect whether the doors are in the upper or lower position. Sensors acting as limit switch are installed at both the top and bottom of the door. Furthermore, the door is equipped with a wind sensor to prevent opening in strong winds. DROMEC has also incorporated a built-in functionality to seamlessly switch from the regular power supply to a generator if necessary.

 

Pieter van Roekel from DROMEC:
“The Smulders project showcases a combination of precision and weight within a timeframe of approximately 15 weeks. We have made every effort to fully support Smulders throughout the process. The installation and tensioning of the cables were carried out by our experienced team in collaboration with our partners at TWS.”

Hydraulic tugger winches for Herman SR. BV

Recently Dromec supplied two hydraulic tugger winches of type HPV-12000 to company Herman SR. BV.

Herman SR. BV supplies workboats including crew for all kind of maritime projects. Both  HPV-12000 (12 mT on layer 1) as the 15 mT variant, HPV-15000 are available from stock.

The winches are characterized by a solid and compact design and cable capacity of 104 mtr. In 5 layers. Winches are equipped with a disc braken and brake valve and plug and play to use.

As surface treatment, a 3-layer offshore coating RAL9005  is applied. Nice to see that also Dromec’s  cable spooling machine type DPW-750 is in use!

Dromec wishes Herman SR. BV many safe and pleasant jobs.