COMPANY
WKH Wasserkraft Hilpertsau
GmbH & Co. KG

DATE
2019

LOCATION
Gernsbach, Germany

PRODUCT:
PORTAGANTRY®

Manoeuvring an old gearbox and generator out of a 1950s hydroelectric plant and bringing in a new Permanent Magnet generator called for an innovative transport and handling solution.

The Background

In a hydroelectric plant on the River Murg in Germany, engineers needed to replace an old and inefficient gearbox generator combination with an efficient new Permanent Magnet generator. They contacted REID’s distribution partner Bruno Glettenberg for a practical and capable lifting solution.

The Challenge

Space in the building was extremely limited and the generator site couldn’t be accessed by industrial transport trucks. In fact, the old generator was too large to move out of the building in one piece. The new generator was more compact, but weighed 4.5 tonnes, so presented its own set of challenges in terms of lifting and manoeuvring through the narrow spaces and low height ceilings in the 1955 building.

The Solution

WKH Wasserkraft Hilpertsau GmbH contacted REID’s distribution partner Bruno Glettenberg to discuss lifting options for the two generators. After reviewing the size, weight and location, Bruno Glettenberg recommended a REID PORTAGANTRY® 5T aluminum lifting system for both lifting challenges which had the necessary 11,000lb capacity, 18' beam width and height adjustment.

Removing the old generator meant dismantling the system on site and moving it out of the building in separate sections and the PORTAGANTRY® proved the ideal solution, because it was so light and easy to move around the narrow spaces. To install the heavier new one a few weeks later, a second standard trolley was added to the PORTAGANTRY® 5T/11,000lb which effectively spread the load along the beam.

With height adjustment from 7’ 1” to 16’ 4”, the PORTAGANTRY® could be lowered to get through the low ceilings and doorways, while the swivel-locking castors on the A-frames made it easy to move under load through the narrow spaces to access the installation and assembly site.

The feedback

Dr Hans-Georg van Wedemeyer, Managing Director, WKH Wasserkraft Hilpertsau:

“The REID Lifting PORTAGANTRY® 5T fully met my expectations. With excellent service from Bruno Glettenberg, I would be happy to recommend it to others.”