Deutsch
English
English (Canada)
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
中文
Success
Steel ship manufacturing frequently involves the movement and orientation of heavy, oversized parts, often presenting challenges to safe and efficient operations. That's why shipbuilders frequently rely on industrial load turning devices to align and move large parts, prevent costly mistakes, and improve productivity. Even more important, load turners also help shipyard safety managers protect staff while reducing labor costs – opening opportunities for larger builds and contracts along the way.
When Is Load Turning Equipment Necessary?
In the heavy shipbuilding industry, it's impossible to separate the need for effective manufacturing and safety. Unless large parts can reliably be assembled correctly and with minimal chance of mistake, workers are needlessly put at risk.
The solution is to enhance your staff's ability to move and rotate large objects at will, which in turn minimizes the need for potentially dangerous situations in the first place. More effective load turning solutions must also function smoothly and quickly, which naturally enhances productivity while reducing the potential for serious workplace accidents.
Any time heavy manufacturing processes require a safe way to move and rotate large, heavy parts, load turners are an ideal choice. This is often the case in the steel shipbuilding industry, especially manufacturers of:
- Ferries
- Tankers
- Cruise ships
- Container and cargo ships
- Naval ships
When parts are extremely heavy, lining them up and connecting them, with the proper spatial relationship, requires painstaking care and precision. A load turner allows shipbuilders to place or connect parts with that type of precision. It allows a single worker to place ship parts smoothly and quickly by remote control, all from a safe distance and while keeping most other staff safely out of the way. Brittle objects can also be gently and safely handled without the need for wires or chains, which is essential with used vessel parts that have sustained corrosion.
The Benefits of Industrial Load Turning Devices
Load turners are built to support extremely high weights, allowing shipbuilders to inspect heavy objects along different planes. They can also be easily installed at different points of a heavy shipbuilding facility, improving the facility's versatility and capability.
With an appropriately selected load turning solution, steel shipbuilders are more capable of:
- Easy rotational control of heavy objects
- Reduced need for manual labor during particularly dangerous processes
- Streamlined manufacturing and assembly
- Increased parts & material capacities
- More versatile workflows
- Minimal wear on parts
- Reduced labor costs
- Greater staff safety
- Higher, faster output
How Industrial Load Turners Work
The most effective load turning solution gives you the capability of full 360° rotation without requiring the object or equipment to be readjusted. An industrial load turning device safely accomplishes this, orienting an object placed within the load turning straps to any degree needed at the press of a button.
Without requiring an anchor point on the load, flat, looped straps run through drive pulleys connected to a bar driven by an operator-controlled gear motor. Because no anchor point is required, the straps alone cradle the object, allowing for its correct orientation in relation to the parts or equipment it's being placed on or interfaced with.
Selecting the Right Load Turning Device
Load turners are generally very versatile, capable of working with objects in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Depending on the object's exact size and weight, strap length and load capacity must be considered, which are the main factors that differentiate load turner products. Size is also a consideration, especially in tight spaces, and some are capable of being installed at different locations in a facility. Maximum load capacities and other factors are usually designated by OSHA or CCOHS, so be sure to reference the proper regulatory body in your location.
The most safety-conscious manufacturers ensure their industrial load turning devices are compliant with the highest number of regulatory bodies across the world. This is key for larger shipbuilding companies whose operations span different jurisdictions, where the need to buy unique equipment for each facility is extremely cumbersome.
Selecting the right load turner for heavy manufacturers requires careful forethought. It can be self-defeating, for example, to expend facility budgets on a low-capacity device if a sudden need to rotate heavier objects arises. At the same time, load turners rated closer to the most common needs are easier to move and reinstall, making them more versatile.
The following considerations are essential for heavy ship manufacturers looking for the most suitable load turning solution:
-
Does your shipyard have future expansion in mind? Higher capacity load turners will facilitate larger ship builds.
-
Do your load turning operations involve tight spaces? Larger equipment may not fit where you need them.
-
Are objects with uneven weight distribution an issue? While a load turner can be adjusted, doing so more than necessarily has significant impacts on workflow.
-
What other equipment must be used with load turning devices? Wider lateral or vertical movements, for example, may require the use of a hoist as well.
-
Will your facility be rotating parts to assemble them or more for inspection or placement? For the latter, simpler solutions may be sufficient.
-
What exact weight and size limits are at play? Beyond the load turner itself, the properties of the straps must also be considered.
Load Rotation Made Safer, Easier, and More Effective
Industrial load turning devices make heavy shipbuilding processes not just easier and safer, but they make them possible in the first place. Those responsible for workplace safety further benefit from the ability to adjust workflows around greater safety that load turners provide – protecting expensive equipment along the way.
This intersection between uncompromising safety and effectiveness is exactly what made Tractel® what it is. As a globally trusted leader in advanced and reliable safety manufacturing equipment, we continually strive to fulfill the ever-rising demands for work-at-height and other safety needs throughout the construction and industrial sectors. Our products lead to new solutions for countless end-user applications, especially when no other option is available.
To learn more about Tractel's® innovative load turning solutions, contact us and discuss the safety needs of your heavy shipbuilding operation with our experienced sales representatives.