Active Safety for Offshore Lifting Operations

Tugger winches are widely used for lifting purposes on the drill floor, especially in places out of reach of the drilling rig’s cranes. Tuggers have a lot of advantages. They are easy to operate and maintain, and they represent a cheap and efficient tool for lifting and moving diverse types of loads around the drill floor.

One of the main disadvantages of tuggers is the lack of real-time awareness regarding the actual load that is being lifted. Tuggers only have an on/off mode, and will try to lift anything without taking its loading into account. Furthermore, the decision whether or not a load can be heaved safely and securely is assessed and determined solely by the tugger operator and, in most cases, lifting operations continue even when the operation is hindered by obstacles. This general scarcity of information on the load being lifted often leads to tugger overload failures and even accidents.

Of course, different approaches have been attempted, but existing solutions are often inaccurate or way too complex and therefore economically unappealing. Rolloos’ solution, on the other hand, has been designed to fit the necessities of tugger lifting operations in a perfect way: simply and cost-efficiently. The basic idea behind Rolloos’ Tugger Load Monitoring System (TLMS) is a load shackle equipped with a strain-gauged load pin. The top sheave of the tugger is connected with the shackle, enabling it to accurately measure the weight of the load. The shackle transmits real-time weight data wirelessly to the main display and to the zone 1 handsets. The receiving display is then wired to flexible combinations of displays: Ex zone 1 displays on the drill floor and safe area displays in the control room. The system is also equipped with a sounder and a number of beacons to inform the operators and the drill crew as soon as the shackle registers a defined set-load, indicating the danger of potential overload.

Rolloos’ TLMS is the result of our desire to keep things simple. Instead of using expensive and dedicated automated systems, it simply increases the tugger operator and drill crew’s real-time awareness regarding the actual load of the tugger winches. This optimises lifting operations due to the real-time knowledge of actual loads and potential overload. Despite the ingenious measuring and signalling system, Rolloos’ TLMS is easy to install and implement. A plug-and-play solution that fits every situation on any existing or new-to-build drilling platform, rig or vessel.

Visit www.rolloos.com/en/tugger-load-monitoring and learn more about Tugger Load Monitoring!