There are two key sectors driving the growth of the marine industry as a whole, namely, offshore oil exploration & production and marine transportation. While there are plenty of activities that characterize these two sectors, the lifting of heavy loads and moving them from one place to another is an activity of critical importance. This means the need for high quality rigging equipment is paramount. Rigging companies have introduced various products that are designed to meet the safety standards and extreme environmental conditions of the marine industry.
There are many pieces of equipment that are used in marine rigging. One such equipment is the crane. It is used for various hoisting operations conducted in the marine industry. Cranes are used to move and handle various heavy weight loads and also transfer materials or personnel to or from marine vessels, barges and structures.
Various marine rigging companies offer a wide range of heavy duty cranes that can be used for off shore and marine operations. Aspects like stress, the load conditions and the environment of the marine operations are taken into consideration while designing these cranes. Cranes are generally chosen according to their loading capacities. The crane capacity also depends on multiple factors, that include the structure upon which the crane is mounted (i.e. bottom-supported, semi-submersible, ship-hulled).
A crane can be placed on the internal spaces (decks) of vessels and rigs or assembled at the quayside. Its activities can include:
- Transferring equipment from other vessels and platforms;
- Moving equipment around the deck at sea; and
- Submerging or recovering equipment in the sea, including placing and removing equipment on the seabed.
While these cranes are used on offshore environments they may face challenges like:
- Vessel motion and stability;
- Weather, wind and sea forces;
- Adjacent structures, vessels;
- Seabed suction and dynamic loading; and
- Noise, light, spray etc
The following are the different types of marine cranes available for off shore and marine use.
- Stiff boom crane
These are designed for general cargo handling and can be used on ships as well as offshore units.
- Telescopic boom crane
Telescopic boom cranes can be hydraulic extended and retracted without a knuckle function.
- Knuckle boom crane
Knuckle boom cranes can be found on vessels with a big deck area and are also used on fixed platforms. These are easy to maintain due to the fact that they have lesser joints.
- Foldable telescopic boom crane
These cranes are designed to ensure constant torque moment, reducing the ‘pendulum effect’ of the load. They require minimum deck space.
These are some of the standard cranes that are available on the market. Different offshore activities require different cranes. Therefore, rigging companies offer a wide range of cranes that are designed according to customer specification. While purchasing a crane, it is recommended you purchase these equipments from trusted rigging companies that provide yearly service and good quality products.