The specialists from the Al Faris Group recently managed such a demanding task while transporting a shiploader on their Cometto SPMT modules.
As one of the major players in heavy lifting and transportation in the Middle East region, Al Faris has the necessary knowhow for such jobs. Group Engineering & Projects Manager Yashvanth Kumar explains the context: “The shiploader has been fabricated in different sections in the manufacturer’s yard, 10 kilometres away from Dubai’s main port. All individual sections are transported to the port with Cometto self-propelled modular axle lines, which provides the necessary flexibility in transporting the longer boom sections across the narrow roads. The elements are assembled in the port to give the full shape of the shiploader.”
High centre of gravity as the main challenge
Beginning of this year, the Al Faris Group received 64 self-propelled MSPE axle lines from Cometto with an axle load of 48 tons each, four 331 kW Power Pack Units and numerous accessories. 28 of these axle lines were assembled in a side-by-side open compound configuration with 2x 14 lines in order to pick up the finished shiploader with a weight of 410 tons.
“This shiploader needed to be shifted to the port berth, further to be loaded onto the vessel to ship to its final home. But for transportation, the challenge is to support the high centre of gravity of the shiploader, which is at a 10 meters high elevation under the gallery”, says the Al Faris operations team about the main parameters of this demanding job. This required good planning and concentration. A highly competent team used the Cometto MSPE axles in combination with a custom-built tower to load the shiploader and transport it alongside - on time and safely.
The established family-owned company Al Faris Group owns the largest fleet of heavy equipment and cranes in the region today. The SPMT fleet by Cometto acts as a powerful tool for the most diverse challenges in the heavy transportation business.
Date of publication: 03/2023