Cimolai Technology has beaten its own records by supplying the biggest mobile boat hoist ever built to one of the company’s best clients, Derecktor Shipyards. The 1500-ton unit is now in service in a new refit yard that Derecktor recently built in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it will be the third Cimolai Technology boat lifter to be installed at Derecktor’s facilities.
Cimolai Technology SpA specializes in the design and manufacture of handling and transport equipment for shipyards, ports and marinas. The company supplies mobile boat hoists and self-propelled trolleys, ship lifting platforms and transfer systems to launch, dry-dock and handle huge vessels. The range of products also includes special cranes to lift and turn ship blocks, goliath cranes on rail, mobile straddle transporters on tires and level-luffing jib cranes.
Cimolai Technology’s mission is to put engineering at the service of the customer, providing tailor-made solutions that overcome the limitations imposed by standard equipment. Innovation, technological know-how and eco-friendliness have always been the leading values of the company, which also supplies fully electric machines. Its aim is to comply with sustainability principles using renewable resources, satisfying the ever-growing demand for a green product.
At Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, Cimolai Technology has installed a battery-charged portal crane travelling on rubber tires. The long-range battery pack provides a maximum power of 300 kWh, guaranteeing a complete cycle of work. This eco-friendly unit can work not only outside but also inside, avoiding the pollution caused by diesel exhaust fumes.
A complete charge of the electric straddle transporter is reached in a maximum time of six hours when the battery is fully discharged. The energy recovered during braking and deceleration operations reduces the dissipated power and guarantees high efficiency of the equipment, as energy that would otherwise be lost as heat is recovered and used to extend the battery life.
This customized equipment includes an automatic drive system, assisting the operator during heavy-duty travel inside the factory, where visibility is reduced and specific paths must be followed.
Thanks to Cimolai Technology’s electronic steering system, which is managed by dedicated and customized software, the rubber-tired machines are extremely maneuverable and suitable for narrow spaces. They are provided with several steering configurations, which can be performed quickly within small areas.
All the machine’s control systems are connected to a central PLC unit, and possible failures or alarms are diagnosed and visualized on the HMI (Human Machine Interface) operator panel, facilitating maintenance operations.
Cimolai Technology units are also provided with an internet connection (through VPN interface) that enables the company’s after-sales department to provide remote assistance to the operator and maintenance staff directly from Cimolai Technology’s offices.
The events of the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 shone a light on technology and the importance of operational flexibility and innovation. Challenging market conditions are not new for our sector. Last September, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the works kept going and four units of Cimolai’s rail-mounted level-luffing jib cranes were installed at Fincantieri Group’s VARD Braila Shipyard. Each crane has a capacity of 100 tons at 30 meters and 80 ton at 35 meters, and they can work either alone or in pairs to handle and turn ship blocks.
This article is sponsored by Cimolai Technology.
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.