Whether handling containers, bulk goods, or heavy loads, ship cranes must withstand wind, weather, and the harsh conditions at sea. The same applies to their drive technology, which must defy water and salt.
Robust drive technology is required not only in ship cranes, but also in running deck cranes, engine room cranes, multi-deck handlers, or service cranes for efficient and reliable operation on board. Wherever maritime crane systems are moved vertically or horizontally, RUD, the drive specialist from Aalen (Germany), provides the suitable solution: the RUD Tecdos drive system.
The basis of the RUD Tecdos drive system is a high-performance round steel chain. It is highly wear-resistant, making it a durable, weather-resistant, and robust solution for maritime use. As a variant made of case-hardened steel, it also withstands particularly wear-aggressive media, such as saltwater and sand.
Safe movement of maritime crane systems on board with RUD Tecdos drive systems, below Tecdos Omega Drive, above Pi-Gamma. Photo: RUD
Process reliability on board
When used at sea, the robustness of the drive system is the decisive criterion. In the maritime sector, the components are subjected to particularly high stresses, but they still have to work reliably and efficiently. “Nobody can or wants the drive system to fail. Because if the crane systems on the ship are at a standstill, it can very quickly become very expensive," emphasizes Anne Kühling, Head of Product Management at RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG.
Tecdos Pi-Gamma
The RUD drive system for maritime crane systems is available in two variants: as Tecdos Pi-Gamma and as Tecdos Omega Drive. Tecdos Pi-Gamma is the flexible complete solution for every maritime requirement. RUD has developed the 2-in-1 chain drive system especially for vertical and horizontal applications. It has a fixed chain deflection of 180° or a flexible chain deflection between 90° and 180°. Thanks to its flexibility, it thus ensures more efficiency on board. Depending on the version, a Tecdos Pi-Gamma drive can achieve tensile forces of up to 260 kN. It is used on ships, among other things, to move cranes and crane bridges horizontally or in a spool for ship winches.
Tecdos Omega Drive is the name of the solution for linear or rotary movements in the offshore sector. Photo: RUD
Tecdos Omega Drive
The solution for linear or rotary movements in the offshore sector is called Tecdos Omega Drive. The drive system has a wrap angle of 180° and, depending on the application, is either attached to the load to be moved and pulls it along the round steel chain or moves the chain from another location. In the maritime sector, the RUD drive system Tecdos Omega Drive is used not only to move harbour and ship cranes, but also for aligning and adjusting ship loaders or unloaders and for opening and closing cargo holds. In its standard version, the Tecdos Omega Drive drive system can handle tensile forces of up to 260 kN per drive.
The 2-in-1 drive system Tecdos Pi-Gamma in use for the crane bridge. Photo: RUD
Wide range of applications
With its two chain drive systems, Tecdos Pi-Gamma and Tecdos Omega Drive, RUD offers shipping companies, suppliers of deck equipment and deck handling as well as regulators and port operators robust, low-maintenance and reliable solutions for moving maritime crane systems. "Especially in container handling, the demand for efficient and flexible handling is growing, as the loading capacity of container ships continues to increase. Efficiency and flexibility ¬– we offer both with our robust drive systems," says Kühling.
Flexibility for more efficiency on board: Tecdos Pi-Gamma with a fixed chain deflection of 180° or a flexible chain deflection between 90° and 180°. Photo: RUD
In addition to their use in maritime cranes, RUD's drive solutions are suitable for a wide variety of tasks in the maritime world and in inland waterways to move or fix objects weighing several tonnes. They are used in port facilities, for example for flexible ship loading, in gangways and ship access systems or also as skidding solutions for moving bulk material on dredgers.
With its main development and production sites in Aalen (Germany), the globally active RUD Group offers forward-looking problem solutions with chain systems for various areas of application. In the field of drive technology, RUD has positioned itself as a specialist for versatile drive solutions – always based on round steel chains.
For more information, go to www.rud.com
