Safe energy supply to STS crane at the Port of Rotterdam under continuous operation

The crane industry has very special requirements when it comes to managing the large number of different cables for supplying the crane trolley with power and data. It is not only the demanding day-to-day operation under continuous operation seven days a week, 24 hours a day that is a major challenge for the cable and chain. High travelling speeds and accelerations as well as adverse weather conditions are also factors that require a well-planned solution.
For a ship-to-shore crane at EMO B.V. in Rotterdam, one of the largest bulk cargo handling ports in Western Europe, the planners were looking for a suitable cable routing solution for precisely this scenario. The requirements: With a trolley drive over 100 metres long, a travel speed of up to 4 metres per second and an additional load of over 50 kg/m, a robust and reliable energy supply had to be found first and foremost.

A P41.80Ri roller energy chain, the largest chain in the P4 chain series, has been in service since the end of 2015. The demanding crane application was specifically selected to put the P4.1 with its tribologically optimised iglidur® plain bearings in the pin/bore connection of the chain links through its paces to reduce friction. Today, the energy chain has already completed over 9,000 operating hours and has long since proven its advantages.
Our continuous further development, from the single integrated roller in the chain link, to the split P4 roller, to a P4.1 roller e-chain® equipped with a tribo-bearing (optionally available with the smart condition monitoring system i.Sense ), has pushed the boundaries and significantly increased the service life of the energy chain system.