It takes less than 15 minutes to grip the first blade

The rotor blade lifters of the RBC series are very fast to be set up. They are ready for use faster than any other traverse systems. After their arrival at the construction site, they automatically set themselves into the operating position. In addition, the process of gripping the rotor blade is made automatically via the selection of the blade type on the display. Almost unbelievable: The RBC rotor blade lifters need less than 15 minutes for these two steps - and then they are good to go. “That is an amazingly low set-up time. Thanks to this enormous saving in time and cost on the construction site alone, some of the RBC rotor blade lifters may already pay off within one year”, explains Eberhard.

Also when it comes to the transport dimensions, the lifters RBC and RBC-D from ematec cannot be beaten. They stand for pure compactness. With their transport size of 13.2 m x 3 m x 3 m (L x W x H) and a dead weight of approx. 25 tons, the rotor blade lifters can be transported with a permanent permission according to the German road traffic act § 70 StVZO. Expensive special permits and long lead times for logistics planning are no longer required. The RBC rotor blade lifters may reach the construction site within one day.

In terms of the drive system Enercon relies on Green Line

The six rotor blade lifters for Enercon get their power – perfectly suited for the regenerative wind industry - from an electro-hydraulic unit with battery. The Green Line version works emission-free and hardly makes any noise. The RBC traverse systems from ematec are one of the first world-wide battery-operated, emission-free rotor blade lifters that have so far been used in the assembly of wind turbines. Another special feature: The battery drive of the RBC and RBC-D is effected with double redundancy. Dangerous and costly downtimes in the air are no longer an issue. “This double failsafe was very important to Enercon”, explains Manfred Eberhard.

The RBC batteries are suitable for a temperature of down to -20 degrees centigrade and for a working time of 16 hours. Thus, even with cold temperatures, it is possible to install three rotor blades on one day. With a charging time of approx. 2.5 hours, even an empty battery is quickly ready for use again. Further advantage: Thanks to the ematec Green Line technology, wind turbine manufacturers bypass the stringent emission regulations according to the Euro 5 standard and the US EPA Tier 4 final, which apply for combustion engines since 1st January 2019. Ematec deliberately keeps the electric drive below 24 volts, so it may also be used in the USA thus complying with the demands of the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

Construction site safety at the highest level

With their simple and efficient handling, the RBC and RBC-D not only ensure process reliability, but also the safety of the staff on the construction site. The hydraulic cylinders of the grippers are equipped with integrated safety valves that make it impossible for the rotor blade to slip out - even if operated incorrectly. The hydraulic cylinders are developed by ematec themselves and are entirely manufactured at the Memmingerberg site. In addition, it is possible to optionally equip each rotor blade lifter with five cameras. The flood lights attached to the RBC and RBC-D perfectly illuminate the work area.

For more information on the RBC and RBC-D, visit www.ematec.de/rbc.