Lifting system from Pfaff-silberblau for flood protection gate in the Greifswald flood barrier

Kissing/Germany, 7 May 2015 – Summer 2015 will see the inauguration of the region’s first flood barrier in Greifswald on the German Baltic Sea coast. Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products, Kissing/Germany, is deploying its SHE worm gear screw jacks of the Pfaff-silberblau brand to move the sliding gates of the harbour pier into place to protect against flood waters. The new flood barrier in Greifswald is part of what is currently the largest coastal protection project in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In the event of a storm surge, it is designed to protect the city region of Greifswald and the urban district of Greifswald-Wieck against flooding, which is regarded as the most vulnerable region of the North/Baltic Sea on account of its exposed location. If a flood warning is issued, this involves locking the main gate of the flood barrier with the aid of a revolving segment to protect against the high tide. At the same time, the 17 m wide and some 18 t heavy sliding gates are closed on the south and north pier of the flood barrier. This involves the gates running on railway tracks based on the principle of an oversized sliding door. This is precisely where the worm gear screw jacks from Pfaff-silberblau come in. In the event of an emergency and also for maintenance purposes, each sliding gate has to be lifted from its parking position in the sliding gate chambers in the dams via a rocker with travel wheel by up to 150 mm and lowered safely onto the rail. The wheel is lifted with a lifting speed of 0.05 m/min by means of an electromechanical drive unit designed and delivered by Pfaff-silberblau specifically for this application. A worm gear screw jack of the SHE 25 series from Pfaff-silberblau with a rotating and self-locking trapezoidal screw, special travelling nut, absolute encoder, special grease and a bevel gear box motor with 1.5 kW actuating power is used. In case of an emergency, the drive unit also features a hand wheel at the motor. Specifically for this outdoor maritime application, the screw is protected by a special flexible protection boot. The electrical components are designed in compliance with protection class IP66. All the other driving elements are also made from weatherproof materials and are protected with high-quality special paint in compliance with corrosiveness category C5M as defined by DIN EN ISO 12944. Thanks to this special design, the drive solution from Pfaff-silberblau qualifies for outdoor use in coastal areas and a temperature range of -20°C to +50°C.

About Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products GmbH, Kissing/Germany, ranks with its brand Pfaff-silberblau amongst the technology leaders in components and system solutions for mechanical motion and lifting technology. The product portfolio ranges from high quality worm gear screw jacks to powerful lifting tables and rope winches. Based on these components, Columbus McKin-non Engineered Products also offers customer specific solutions for all kinds of applications. Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products GmbH, Kissing/Germany, is a company of the listed Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO), Amherst/USA, a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of material handling products, systems and services. Worldwide, the corporation has more than 2,600 employees on 18 production sites in 7 countries and 52 additional sales offices. For more information about Columbus McKinnon Engineered Products and the brand Pfaff-silberblau please visit www.pfaff-silberblau.com.