08.03.2016
Lifting a thousand bags
Crane and heavy transport specialist Mammoet has devised a safer and more rapid solution for unloading bulk bags from ships.
The company has worked with Spanish spreader manufacturer Tec Container and automatic hook manufacturer Elebia to improve efficiency in unloading 1,000 one tonne bags from ships in Westdorpe, the Netherlands. The 12 five tonne Elebia evo5 hooks are attached to the six metre/20ft spreader while 12 web slings are attached to six anchor points on the central spine of the spreader.
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A test run is carried out using a reachstacker
Three men worked in the hold of the ship, threading the web slings through the large bag loops and onto the Elebia hooks. Once all 12 were attached a 140 tonne Liebherr LHM 500 Liebherr mobile harbor crane lifted each loaded spreader to trailers waiting on the dock side, where the bags could be automatically released with a remote controller – saving three people in the dock and improving safety.
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The Elebia hooks were attached to the outer spines housing seven, while the end of the slings were attached to the central spine
Mammoet says that it needed to devise a more efficient method for handling bulk bags as it is expecting a substantial short term increase in this type of cargo.
Looking forward it hopes to be able to replace the web slings with a further nine Elebia hooks that will attach directly to the bag loops and allow 21 bags per lift.
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harcom
One lift bag ?
think about it, the bag is filled at a quarry then;
lifted to storage area, lifted onto distribution lorry, lifted off at builders depot, lifted onto builders delivery lorry, lifted off at building site at best. There could be other lifts & moves in between.
So, a minimum of 5 'lifts', where does the 'one lift' come into play ?
harcom
Michael Brown
I have always believed that those type 1 ton bags should not be lifted by 1 chain, hook or strap as the drawing together of the handles weakens the design, ie use a four chain set one hook on each bag handle so as to spread the weight evenly between the four handles. & even then only lift once hence the term "one lift wonders" is this a new bag different ratings etc or is it because dockyard guidelines are different?