Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products GmbH, Kissing (Germany), at GIFA 2011 (June 28 - July 2, 2011, Düsseldorf), hall 10, booth B70

Now with unlimited duty cycle: 500-ton jacking system from Pfaff-silberblau

Lifting solution for shifting zinc ovens has 100 percent availability, minimizing idle periods for galvanizing lines

Kissing (Germany), June 28, 2011 - Not long ago, Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products GmbH, Kissing, launched, under the Pfaff-silberblau brand, a jacking system specially for the large-scale production of galvanized steel sheet, which is used in the packaging industry and in vehicle construction. Now, the specialist for drive technology has continued to perfect its system solution to meet the demanding requirements of the steel industry for short idle times. Thanks to a newly developed active cooling circuit, Pfaff-silberblau’s 500-ton lifting system can now be operated without cooling times imposing limits on its duty cycle; further, it does not require automatic relubrication devices. According to the specific requirements in use, this heavy-duty lifting system with 100 percent availability can also be realized for loads of 750 tons and more. Here you can see the 500-ton jacking system from Pfaff-silberblau in action: ((Note to the editor: You are most welcome to use this video for your news portal. If you require the video in a special format to integrate it into your website, please send a short messsage with the required format to catherine.schneider@mexperts.de)) Four screw jacks for a load of 500 tons Galvanized steel sheet is produced in Continuous Galvanizing Lines (CGL). The heart of such a system comprises zinc bath ovens in which the zinc is melted and kept liquid. Most CGLs have two ovens with differing zinc alloys to be used as required. The process is as follows: the required oven, carrying a load of 500 tons, is transported onto the lifting system from its stationary position one level beneath the production line using a system of rails, then lifted approximately two meters directly into the production line. For this system which is required not only to reliably lift an enormous load, but also to withstand intense heat and severe dirt, Pfaff-silberblau uses four worm gear screw jacks of SHE200.1 size, which are powered by a central motor using transfer boxes and drive shafts. Unlimited duty cycle, high reliability and security The mechanically powered lifting systems that have been in common use up to now required, depending on ambient temperature, load and distance lifted, a cooling period of up to six hours after every double stroke in order to allow the spindle and the worm gear to return to ambient temperature. This idle period was unacceptable for many steel works operators, forcing them to resort to hydraulic solutions with higher susceptibility to faults. Now a new development from Pfaff-silberblau gives the industry the best of both worlds: The use of an active cooling circuit for the worm gear and spindle makes the system as limitlessly operable as a hydraulic solution. At the same time, Pfaff-silberblau’s mechanical jacking system continues to offer all its tried-and-trusted advantages: high reliability and complete system security even when a screw nut breaks. Active cooling circuit keeps lubricant temperature constant In this optimized lifting system from Pfaff-silberblau, all heat which results from the spindle’s and worm gear’s dissipation loss is transferred to the lubricant, which is conducted into an equalizing tank via a return flow and then cooled to ambient temperature using an oil cooler. A pump keeps the oil ceaselessly circulating and at a constant low temperature. The container is necessary for balancing out the difference in volume within the gear and the protective pipe when the spindle is deployed and retracted. A feed line conducts the cooled lubricant to the lowest point of the spindle’s protection tube, where it re-enters, flows through the protection tube and the worm gear and can once more reliably cool the device. In a further innovation, the lubricant used for the spindle and the gear drive is identical, dispensing with the need for automatic relubrication devices. As in the SHE200 using sensor technology, its further development, the SHE200.1, includes temperature monitoring for the spindle and gear drive by means of temperature sensors.

About Columbus McKinnon and Pfaff-silberblau Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products GmbH, based in Kissing near Augsburg (Germany), is a part of the Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO), based in Amherst (USA). Its brands Pfaff-silberblau and ALLTEC Antriebstechnik are among the technological leaders in the field of solution-oriented lifting and material handling equipment as well as drive technology and stage technology. Its sister company, Columbus McKinnon Industrial Products GmbH, based in Velbert (Germany), is featuring the brands Yale and Pfaff-silberblau and offers high-quality standardized lifting and material handling equipment for ergonomically appropriate and safe lifting, shifting, positioning and fixing of heavy loads. In Germany, Columbus McKinnon currently employs approximately 370 people; worldwide, the group has more than 2,600 employees at 55 locations and sites in 19 countries. You can find further information on Columbus McKinnon and its brands Pfaff-silberblau, ALLTEC Antriebstechnik and Yale at www.cmco.eu/pfaff-silberblau.