Lubrication-free and maintenance-free heavy-duty bearings in the chassis of new RTG cranes

Profile

• What was needed:
  Lubrication-free and maintenance-free heavy-duty bearings "igutex TX"
  P4HD roller energy chain,
  chainflex cables
• Requirements:
  The company was looking for bearing points that could support particularly high loads in the chassis of RTG cranes, withstand harsh environmental conditions and reduce maintenance work.
• Success for the customer:
  The heavy-duty bearings "TX1" offer a maximum permissible surface pressure of 200MPa. The special feature: thanks to the sliding properties of the inner layer, they are optimised for friction, durable and completely lubrication-free and maintenance-free. The customer can dispense with regular maintenance while increasing safety in crane operation.

Made for harsh environments: in the chassis of its new RTG cranes, the manufacturer Tan Cang Gantry Joint Stock Company (TCGT) relies on the completely lubrication-free and maintenance-free heavy-duty bearings from the new TX product range.

Tan Cang Gantry specialises in the manufacture and construction of port equipment such as RTG cranes.

As part of a co-operation with igus Vietnam, Tan Cang Gantry relies on completely lubrication-free and maintenance-free heavy-duty bearing technology in the chassis of their RTG cranes, among other things.

The installed heavy-duty bearings "igutex TX1" consist of a robust glass fibre fabric in the outer shell. The maximum permissible surface pressure is 200MPa.

Lubrication- and maintenance-free heavy-duty bearings "igutex TX1"

In the chassis, i.e. the "bogies" of their RTG cranes, Tan Cang Gantry do not use conventional steel bearings, but TX1 heavy-duty bearings from the igutex range.
The advantage: the fibre composite plain bearings combine a robust outer layer for heavy-duty applications and harsh environmental conditions with an inner layer optimised for sliding properties and friction. The bearings' high load capacity also ensures "smooth", uninterrupted operation: the TX1 bushings allow for a surface pressure of up to 200MPa. This gives the engineers at Tan Cang Gantry more flexibility in the design. At the same time, the resistance on the shaft is minimised, which increases the service life. Once the bearings have been installed, the self-lubricating effect of the inner material makes sure that there is no need for external lubrication and regular maintenance work on the bearings. This means that a possible lack of lubrication is avoided and safety is additionally increased. The material pays off at ports in particular: Tan Cang Gantry does not have to worry about corrosion on the bearings, and no external lubricants can be flushed out of the bearings and into the environment.

Heavy-duty roller energy chain "P4HD" and cables

For its RTG crane project, the manufacturer Tan Cang Gantry requires not only heavy-duty bearings but also fail-safe cable guidance systems behind the moving end. The special feature of the crane industry is that particularly long travels often have to be covered. Roller energy chains are therefore becoming increasingly popular, not only on STS cranes, but on RMG or RTG cranes as well, as they further reduce frictional resistance compared to gliding energy chains. The roller energy chain P4HD is thus used on the RTG cranes from Tan Cang Gantry, too. They bear high cable weights and guide the cables safely even in the event of weather fluctuations, high wind speeds and in the salty harbour air - always featuring a long service life. The flexible connections between the links of the energy chain also minimise vibrations. As on option, the roller energy chain can be equipped with so-called i.Sense and i.Cee sensors, which further increase safety by constantly monitoring system status. In the event of chain damage, they can initiate an emergency stop.
Finally, the manufacturer relies on UL-approved and UV-resistant chainflex cables, which guarantee the power and data transmission from and to the RTG even combined with high mechanical stress, long travels and tight bend radii in the energy chain.

Tan Cang Gantry also obtains the cable guidance system from igus: a type P4HD roller energy chain. "HD" describes the suitability of the unwinding chain for heavy-duty applications.

As the upper run of the roller energy chain does not "glide" but rolls on the lower run, the frictional resistance is minimised when the chain is moved.

UL-approved chainflex cables were selected for the guided cables. The UV-resistant chainflex cables have been specifically designed for long travels in energy chains and tight bend radii.