VERLINDE hoist used for PELLOBY inverted travelling jib crane

A series of three adjacent overhead cranes span the width of one of the two large ISIS experimental halls onsite that allow access to the various beam defining equipment areas. However as the building´s capabilities were expanded to accommodate additional instruments, some of the new beam defining equipment areas were located in a ´cranage dead zone´ which the existing overhead cranes couldn´t reach.

Pelloby (www.pelloby.com) were asked to come up with a lifting solution to give ISIS and the various research teams at the complex, suitable craneage access to these dead zone areas - the aim being to lift beamline instrument components, shielding and other materials in and out of the restricted crane access areas.

Working closely with STFC engineers, our designers set to work and the result was an inverted travelling jib crane which can traverse the length of the building along a 53 metre gantry support rail system, while also providing continuous 360 degree access in a five metre radius thanks to a powered rotating jib arm. This innovative modified travelling jib crane can support loads of up to five tonnes thanks to a Verlinde VT2 Eurobloc hoist.

As the crane needed to access awkward spaces, operators had to be able to carefully navigate it around obstacles such as building stanchions and existing machinery. It is therefore operated via an easy-to-use handheld radio control system which governs the longitudinal travelling motion, the jib arm rotation and the movement of the electrically powered short headroom Verlinde wire rope hoist. Anti-clash sensors were fitted to the jib arm, which means the system automatically stops moving when it detects it is approaching another object.

This inverted travelling jib crane is a unique "one-of-a-kind" system and was made possible thanks to Pelloby´s innovative design capabilities and the versatility of Verlinde´s Eurobloc VT range.