Background:
In early September 2021, shipments from a U.S. West Coast terminal that handles ~20% of the nation’s soybean meal exports were curbed due to a crane collapse at a prominent Northwest U.S. port. A loading boom at the farm cooperative export facility while loading a bulk carrier. The exporter’s facility is especially important because soymeal isn’t easily shipped from terminals focused on grains like corn, as it flows differently and requires specialized handling equipment. The bulky commodity also isn’t meant to sit for extended periods, so time was of the essence.
The soybean exporter employed a consultative engineering firm who contacted Hindon to provide a solution for a fully redundant spring-set, hydraulically released disc brake system for a large wire rope winch that operated the ship loader boom.
Application Challenges:
- Previous brake failure evaluation required to inform new system design of the emergency hoist brake
- Urgent delivery requirement (downtime situation)
- Marine ambient environment
Solution:
Understanding the timing pressures associated with costly downtime, Hindon worked earnestly to identify the shortcomings of the previous design and develop a more robust and reliable solution.
Hindon’s industrial braking system utilized floating caliper hydraulic fail-safe brakes for use on the customer’s existing 304SS disc and controlled by a 30-liter HPU. The use of floating caliper brakes helped allow for axial misalignment and was therefore more forgiving than the previous fixed caliper braking system. The brakes were equipped with limit switches for indication “brake released” and “lining wear” providing a safe-guard against operating the brakes in an unsafe condition. The HPUs were equipped with oil leveling, temperature monitoring, and an anti-condensation heater. The marine environment was considered in all aspects of the design from use of special saltwater-proof linings designed for use on a stainless disc to special marine painting of the calipers.
Designing this application-specific industrial braking system was only part of the challenge – timely delivery was just as critical. Hindon made good on its promise to deliver the braking systems within 6 weeks of receiving a purchase order. Hindon provided near daily updates on delivery, allowing the end user to properly sequence installation and commissioning of the braking systems in the context of their crane repair, ultimately allowing the soybean exporter to get back to exporting product as soon as possible.