Scheuerle Fahrzeugfabrik GmbH

11,300 ton installation on route to the sea

Modular transporters from KAMAG and SCHEUERLE used to transport on oil and gas production facility

Production equipment weighing one and a half times heavier than the Eiffel Tower in Paris or 73 times the weight of the Statue of Liberty in New York was recently transported using modular transporters supplied by the two special vehicle manufacturers KAMAG (Ulm) and SCHEUERLE (Pfedelbach). The completely assembled and equipped oil and gas production facility – the QU Deck – had to be transported from its production location in Hartlepool/England to the load out quay, a distance of 1 km. Once positioned on a barge and sea-fastened, the colossus was taken to its final destination by sea to the Buzzard oil field. Even the helicopter landing pad, which is needed to fly in supplies, has been installed on the roof of the complex and is ready for immediate operations.



In order to be able to transport this enormous weight at all, the English special transport contractors, ALE (Abnormal Load Engineering Ltd) used transportation vehicles manufactured by KAMAG and SCHEUERLE. Seven vehicle combinations from KAMAG with altogether 194 axle lines as well as another seven vehicle combinations from SCHEUERLE with a further 224 axle lines were carefully positioned under the load. If all the vehicle combinations were placed in a row, this would result in a length of nearly 600 metres. Every one of the vehicle combinations was equipped with a power pack. Thus, a total of 14 diesel engines supplied the power required for the hydrostatic drive, electronic multi-way steering and the hydraulic lifting system with which the 11,300 tons were raised up off its assembly foundations. In the process, the gigantic load was gently lowered on to a total of 1,672 tyres ready for transportation to the quay.



One of the most important tasks in the case of such an oversized transport is the interaction of all steered axles when driving around bends. This is the job of the central on-board computer which ensures that each set of wheels then has the correct steering angle. If only one axle was not moved into the correct position, this would lead to the immediate collapse of the wheel set due to the extremely high load being carried and, ultimately, the whole vehicle unit. In order that a reliable exchange of data takes place between the SCHEUERLE and KAMAG heavy-duty transporters, a specially developed communication interface was installed. Astonishingly, only one operator is required to control the entire vehicle combination. Only the minimum amount of pressure on the joystick of the cabled remote control device is enough to set this industrial colossus with a weight of more than 11,300 tons in motion.



This load ranks among the heaviest which has ever been transported using wheeled vehicles.



SCHEUERLE photo:

Modular transporters from KAMAG and SCHEUERLE transporting an oil and gas production facility. Seven vehicle combinations from KAMAG with a total of 194 axle lines along with seven vehicle combinations from SCHEUERLE with 224 axle lines were used.



SCHEUERLE Fahrzeugfabrik GmbH:

Transporters from SCHEUERLE are recognised across the world for their advanced technology and special product quality. Reliability in daily use, high load capacity and a long service life make the vehicles a very important component of modern logistical operations. The history of vehicle technology for heavy transport vehicles is closely connected with the name of SCHEUERLE and the company has a well-earned reputation of linking tradition and innovation. Together with KAMAG Transporttechnik in Ulm and NICOLAS Industries in Champs-sur-Yonne, France, SCHEUERLE belongs to the group of companies owned by the Heilbronn industrialist, Otto Rettenmaier. Within the group, the TII – Transporter Industry International heavy-load division is global market leader.