April 23 - The TII Group, which incorporates the Scheuerle, Nicolas and Kamag brands, gives an overview of its biggest transportation devices available.
Nicolas Reel Carriers, which are used to transport cable reels for the offshore industry, can carry up to 500 tonnes of weight and feature electronic steering, allowing for different programmes of load moving.
Another "Monster Machine" from Nicolas is the Tractomas, which can pull trailers and semi-trailers, and with the addition of a PowerBooster auxiliary drive system can prevent loss of speed when negotiating inclines, as well as providing improved cooling performance.
The 82-tonne Kamag Slag Pot Transporter, which measures 11.9 m x 7.7 m x 4.3 m and can transport payloads of up to 130 tonnes, is another innovation for heavy transport, says the TII Group. Driven by a Caterpillar C15 diesel engine, the single-axle prime mover can pull the 5.8 m long and 4.35 m high slag pot, and has been newly developed by Kamag to transport ever increasing loads.
The TII Group also mentions its Ship Section Transporters from Scheuerle and Kamag, which can move heavy loads of up to 1,000 tonnes on one vehicle and features a hydraulic system that allows accurate positioning. By combining several vehicles to form one large unit, loads of 5,000 tonnes and more can also be transported.
The Scheuerle Non-Cassette Carrier, which has 24 steered axles, 48 tyres and is around 25 m long, can not only move stacks of steel plates without requiring any pallets, but can also be used in combinations with a transport ship as part of a ro-ro concept.
As well as the Non-Cassette Carrier, Scheuerle's Antenna Transporter is another of the TII Group's "Monster Machines", it says. With the dimensions 20 m x 10 m x 6 m and a weight of 130 tonnes, the Antenna Transporter features a hydrostatic drive which guarantees accurate positioning of radio telescopes on foundations.
Additionally, the electronically regulated all-wheel steering system supports precise manoeuvring operations in order to lift sensitive antennas from foundations or reposition them using specially developed pick-up equipment.
Two of these bespoke vehicles are being used on the 5,000 m high Llano de Chajnantor site in Chile's Atacama Desert, where the arrangements and positioning of 66 radio telescopes is required.
