Houlder RSDS deployed to South America
UK marine equipment provider, Houlder, has announced the delivery of its Reel Skidding Drive System (RSDS) to Scotland based reel product equipment provider, Aquatic.
The RSDS is now in transit to South America for mobilisation onboard Aquatic’s end customer vessel for the project.
Houlder’s system consists of a skid frame, skid trolley and push and has been designed to operate at sea in all but storm conditions. Once it has received a loaded cassette reel of flexible product, the 75 tonne system engages its drive system and transports the unit 10m along the vessel deck from the loading to the product deployment position.
The 10m long skid trolley features a tower and cradle arrangement to support two different reel sizes of up to 150 tonnes each and is driven by a pair of 30 tonne hydraulic rams which drive the trolley over the skid frame on 200 tonne Hillman rollers.
Jon Mears, project director, Houlder, said: “The RSDS design and build was a fast track programme, successfully achieved by the Houlder team working closely with our client Aquatic and specialist subcontractors, MC Ware Fabricators and Micron Eagle Hydraulic Engineers. The unit supports our client in delivering improved operability in a very challenging flexible product laying environment.”
To ensure safety the system has also been fitted with an audible movement alarm and flashing warning beacons.
The company designed, engineered and constructed the system to Aquatic’s specifications at MC Ware Fabricators’ Tees facility in Yorkshire, where four weeks of certification and testing was also carried out.
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