Duty cycle crawler crane in hydraulic engineering applications: SENNEBOGEN 655 HD at WSA Aschaffenburg

The Aschaffenburg Water and Shipping Authority (WSA) as a federal authority is responsible for the maintenance of the Main federal waterway, from the mouth in the Rhine upstream to river kilometer 185.2. The 15 lock operating points, in particular, require regular maintenance and inspection. For this purpose, the WSA has extensive machinery, which, since July 2014 has been supplemented with a new SENNEBOGEN 655 HD duty cycle crawler crane. The machine with an extensive range of special equipment was especially designed for use on the so-called multi-purpose ferry "Muräne" by the specialist department Mechanical Engineering - South.

The 655 HD duty cycle crawler crane, delivered and supported by our sales and service partner IBS, is driven by a powerful 261 kW diesel engine. Two crane winches, each with a tensile force of 160 kN, as well as the reinforced, 2-row slewing ring, offer optimal prerequisites for the demanding implementation on the Main. The cab, which can be elevated by 2.7 m, and the plastic shoes mounted on the crawler tracks to protect the ship deck are particularly conspicuous.

The 655 HD has been deployed in the lower Main valley since mid-October, where there was a lot of work to be performed on the Offenbach lock. In daily operation approximately 50 to 70 ships pass through the dual-chamber lock. Regular draining of the lock chambers and a structural inspection required the installation of a so-called lock inspection gate, consisting of steel elements up to 9 m in length that provisionally hold back the water. This is where multi-purpose ferry and duty cycle crawler crane are successfully deployed. First, the steel plates and components are loaded onto the ferry in order to then place them in front of the lock gates with centimeter precision. The steel elements weigh up to 4 t and are between 6 m and 9 m in length. Thanks to the good collaboration of crane operator, ship's crew, and divers the steel plates are mounted within three hours, the lock chamber is sealed watertight.

For the crew of the "Muräne" the new duty cycle crawler crane, is the multi-function device that is in daily operation. In addition to crane operation, the machine is also used with different rope grapples. Thus, for example, shallows in the waterway are worked or the upstream lock basins are cleared. The machine has been factory-equipped with many supplemental options for deployment on the water. For example, an inclination scale always indicates the incline of ship and boom, and when executing load-increasing functions it warns of critical operating states - an important safety feature. The machine is filled with biologically degradable hydraulic oils for use on the water.

Crane operator Joachim Bauer, who has been operating duty cycle crawler cranes for 11 years, is very satisfied with the new SENNEBOGEN 655 HD: "The machine is reliable, robust, and first and foremost it is relatively light. This is particularly important on the water - the lighter the machine, the more material we can take on board the multi-purpose ferry", explains Bauer.

In daily operation the elevating Maxcab particularly convinced the operator. Elevated by 2.70 m the machine operator has an ideal overview of the work area. Numerous LED headlights and an extensive camera system give him additional support.

Statement: "As a full-fledged duty cycle crawler crane the SENNEBOGEN 655 HD convinces in hook operation, as well as in grapple operation. With a variety of special equipment, the machine was adapted to our requirements in the factory." Crane operator Joachim Bauer, WSA Aschaffenburg

Image caption: A SENNEBOGEN 655 HD duty cycle crawler crane is deployed on the multi-purpose ferry of the Aschaffenburg Water and Shipping Authority. Recently the machine was used to insert an inspection gate on the Offenbach lock.

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