High speed, long travels: safe cable guidance for 12 STS cranes

Profile

• What was needed: E4/4 Heavy Duty energy chain, chainflex cables, condition monitoring system
• Requirements: A cable guidance system was needed that allows long travel distances and large cable weights and operates reliably over a long period. As the trolleys travel up to 240 metres per minute, the system also had to be designed for high travel speeds.
• Industry: Cranes
• Success for the customer: The energy chains are characterised by their high material strength and long service life and can also handle strong push/pull forces. Another advantage is the weight saving compared to a conventional system. Built-in sensors monitor the push and pull forces of the energy chain and allow preventive maintenance measures.

Energy chains installed in STS cranes in Antwerp

Problem

In the port of Antwerp, a new energy supply concept consisting of cables and cable guides had to be found for 12 new ship-to-shore cranes. A special challenge to the system was posed by the large-scale installations, which required 260 metres of cable to reliably supply the main trolleys with energy and data. This required robust cable guides that work reliably over the long term. Since the trolleys travel up to 240 metres per minute, the system also had to be designed for high travel speeds. And in order to avoid a further increase in the required drive energy for already heavy cables, the focus was on the implementation of a lightweight system.

Solution

Today, the STS cranes use 260-metre-long e-chains of the E4/4 HD system, in which there are various cables, e.g. fibre optic cables from the chainflex cable range.
The abbreviation "HD" (Heavy Duty) indicates the chain's   ability to operate without problems even with very heavy cable weights and long travels. The system achieves this through the very high material strength and service life of the chain elements, which can also cope with stronger push/pull forces. Another advantage is the weight saving compared to a conventional system, which saves on both the drive power for the trolley and the system weight for the crane girder.
There is also a roller energy chain on the crane for each centenary trolley. These two chains run in a trough system. The attachment point of the centenary trolley is on the boom on the water side, allowing the main trolley to still work with the boom raised. The centenary trolleys can also be moved when the boom is raised.
Most recently, due to the challenging environment, the so-called i.Sense condition monitoring system was installed to prevent damage and downtime. The system monitors the push and pull forces of the energy chain and improves operational reliability through preventive maintenance and fine-tuning of the system. In the event of a fault, an alarm message is generated immediately and sent by email or SMS, for example. An analysis of the error message can therefore be carried out at any location.

Energy chain with medium-voltage single cores and chainflex glass fibre cable