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Image credit: Verton
Verton, an Australian manufacturer of lifting and load steering products, is developing its Windmaster project to provide a safer, faster and smarter method of handling and installing suspended loads at sea.
Entering the offshore production market – estimated at $ 1.3 trillion by 2040, according to a International Energy Agency report – the Windmaster project will address the growing safety and productivity issues with installation and maintenance.
This will mean a commercialized solution for wind turbine installations in harsh environments, with co-funding of $ 178,000 from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Center (AMGC).
Verton’s product is patented, remote controlled and gyroscope compatible, allowing slogans or support lines from the load to ground level to be removed. It also means that dogmen (who exploit slogans from the ground) are not needed, creating a safer offshore environment.
The technology can reduce equipment downtime by 25 percent and hook time, or air charge time, by 50 percent. This guarantees more productivity and safety and less damage.
“The winds of change are blowing through global energy production, and Verton is a role model for other companies looking to leverage its experience in new industries, at home and abroad, while exploiting the opportunities of the world. growing renewable energy market, â€Jens, managing director of AMGC told Goennemann.
“By collaborating with top researchers and industry partners to identify business opportunities, Verton is poised to export locally developed lifting and lifting solutions to many international markets.
The Windmaster project linked Verton with companies such as heavy lift and haulage specialist Mammoet, marine engineers Van Oord and wind energy specialist Vestas, among others. These companies also contributed financially to the project.
“Thanks to the project supported by AMGC, we have increased the loads we can handle with the Everest system, from a capacity of 25 tonnes to the deployment of a proof of concept for our Windmaster solution for testing at Brisbane airport. , which will be capable of considerably higher loads, â€said Patrick Taylor, Verton project manager.
“The proof of concept test will help us develop the best product for high wind environments, where we use the wind against itself rather than trying to combat it. “
Verton’s collaboration with Vestas also generated a system used to lift blades, nacelles, turbines and other large components. This system integrated the Windmaster product into Vestas’ multi-blade installation yoke technology.
Collaboration has been key to Verton’s success since its inception, when Verton’s founder and CTO benefited from the academic contribution of the Queensland University of Technology.
“When we started out we needed some calculations for the moment of inertia and then take that and put it into our software and make our products work the way they work today,†said Esna Louwrens, manager. of Verton’s business development and marketing.
“There is a great deal of physical and computational complexity involved in getting it right. “
Australian manufacturers like Verton are booming as they create complex solutions for global markets and embrace the entire manufacturing value chain, according to Goennemann.
“It has been proven time and time again that manufacturers like Verton who invest in all seven stages of the manufacturing value chain develop products that are better, not cheaper, and have global relevance,” said Goennemann .
“They are positive proof of Australia’s manufacturing potential.”
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