KAMAG and SCHEUERLE claim new world record

Reported by www.heavyliftpfi.com

December 8 - As part of a new project, more than 15,000 tonnes of installation equipment was moved on self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) using KAMAG and SCHEUERLE transport technology.
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This is the heaviest load ever to be transported by SPMTs claim the two equipment manufacturers.

The process took place in the Aker Stord shipyard at Leirvik, Norway. The objective was to transport an oil separator installation for the wastewater treatment operations of Aker Solutions from the production plant onto a nearby pontoon.

With three sections, the middle one alone weighing 12,750 tonnes, the oversize dimensions of the separator made it very difficult to transport. The Belgian heavy haulage specialist, Sarens, carried out this part of the project.

KAMAG shipped 356 axle lines of modular transporters and 16 Power Packs to Norway for use in the project, with sister company, SCHEUERLE, providing an additional 184 SPMT axle lines and 6 Power Packs, rented from heavy haulage specialist Mammoet.

The KAMAG and SCHEUERLE modular transporters (SPMTs) were then coupled together electronically and driven using remote control technology under the load, which was then raised to the required driving height, again through the use of remote-controlled operations.

Following a breathtaking 160 m journey from the production plant to the pontoon, precise operations were called for in positioning the enormous three sections of the oil separator installation adjacent to each other.



KAMAG modular transporters under load



The load is being moved out of the production hall



KAMAG and SCHEUERLE SPMTs, while setting of the steering program

SPMT - Self Propelled Modular Transporter

A Self Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) is a platform vehicle with a large array of wheels on the bottom. They are used for transporting massive objects such as bridges, oil refining equipment, huge motors, large bridge sections, and other objects that are too big or heavy for trucks. These vehicle may also be called a Self Propelled Modular Trailer.

SPMTs are increasingly used in the construction and oil industries, and have been recently begun to be used to replace bridge spans, in the United States and Europe, and more recently, Canada.

A typical SPMT can have a grid of several dozen computer-controlled wheels, all individually controllable and steerable, in order to evenly distribute weight and steer accurately. Each individual wheel can swivel independently from other wheels, to allow the SPMT to turn, move sideways, or even spin in place. Some SPMTs allow each wheel to telescope independently of each other, so that the load can be kept flat and evenly distributed while moving over uneven terrain. As SPMTs often carry the world's heaviest loads on wheeled vehicles, they are very slow vehicles, often moving at under one mile per hour while fully loaded. Some SPMTs are controlled by a worker with a hand held control panel, while other SPMTs have a driver cabin. In addition, multiple SPMTs can be combined to transport massive building-sized objects.

SPMTs have also been featured on Discovery Channel during shows involving engineering.

Normal load/axle-line: 22.5tons or 32.5tons.
Drive type: Hydrostatics
Steering type: Normal linkage steering (first wheel max. steering angle 55-60degree) or independant steering (also called e-multi steering. all wheels +/- 115 to 135degree or even 360degree steering).

Different Combination Mode of SPMT



Multiple combination with central remote control