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Below-The-Hook Handling & Manipulation Solutions

Standard commercial cranes are excellent tools for safely lifting and lowering heavy items. However, as soon as your processes demand more than that, commercial lifting equipment very often isn't up to the task.

The Challenge

Our customers require handling solutions that go beyond a simple hook for lifting and lowering. It’s why SCX Special Projects exists: when standard commercial lifting solutions fall short.

A fit-for-purpose handling system is more than just a crane, and for many applications a simple hook doesn’t make the grade. Clients come to us with very specific handling challenges, such as rotation, interlocking, positional accuracy, inventory tracking, environmental sensing and more.

The Solution

‘Below-the-hook’ is where SCX Special Projects can engineer mechanical handling solutions that deliver precisely the manipulation and control you need, with safety and reliability always in mind.

We have designed and built devices that include bespoke interfaces, rotating and latching grapples, robotics, hydraulics, pneumatics, turning rigs, CCTV and barcode readers. And for applications ranging from simple mechanical interlocks to fully automated handling systems.

Bombardier Aviation tail wing rotation rig

Carefully automated chain hoists provide controlled and accurate rotation of large, valuable tail wing assemblies
Control is via a remote pendant, allowing the operator to take a wider view of the wing manipulations
The entire system is weight-optimised and suspended from the existing overhead travelling crane, helping to maximise ROI of existing infrastructure

Advanced high integrity grapple for a UK nuclear licenced site

The motorised grapple interfaces securely with cylinders of radioactive low level waste (LLW) material
Numerous EC&I devices are equipped including CCTV cameras, a bar code reader, various field sensors, limit switches and enclosures
The large slewing ring and latching grab are all electrically powered to remove the risk of fluid spills

Rolls-Royce jet engine transporter system

Two bespoke frames were engineered to enhance existing lifting operations
Equipped with load cells, sensors and locks, the frames feed back information to the Rolls-Royce SCADA desk
The design is weight-optimised and symmetrical, reducing stress on the existing runway and allowing identical operation in both forward and reverse orientations

Production line pick-and-place grapples

Combining bespoke mechanical design with intelligent EC&I systems, the grapples maximise space with safe automated operation
Articulated hooks solve the problem of limited headroom, while latching mechanisms securely hold the 2.5-tonne paper rolls
An inventory mapping system knows which rolls to pick first, depending on the required paper specification

BAE Systems post-furnace wing handling system

Following a hot, blow-moulded process, delicate Eurofighter wings need to be extracted from the furnace
The system is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 1100°C, whilst gently manipulating the wings
The forklift-inspired design can not only raise and lower the wings, but slew around for additional handling versatility

ILW box and 500-litre drum handling grapples

Installed at a number of UK nuclear licensed sites, these bespoke grapples are designed to interface with various boxes and drums of intermediate level waste (ILW)
The grapples rotate into position to counter any positional errors as drums arrive from upstream processes
Twistlocks engage with the drum and ensure a solid mechanical interface before allowing any lifting operations

West Sussex MBT energy-from-waste grabs

Our client required a semi-automated crane solution to help them segregate waste more intelligently
Two cranes were equipped with large capacity ‘orange peel’ grabs capable of holding 10m3 of waste material
The grabs relay load data via load cells and are kept safe via anti-collision and anti-sway features

Sellafield integrated mast & crane waste retrieval rig

Sellafield’s waste pits contain both irradiated sludge and intermediate level waste (ILW) material
Access to the pits is extremely restrictive, the only entrance being a small hatch in the pit ceiling
The remote-controlled mast lowers the hydraulic manipulator arm through the hatch, where it extends to perform retrieval or size reduction tasks, before extracting the waste

Bespoke pintle and rotating hook

In order to achieve a solid yet easily detachable mechanical interface with the grapple, a bespoke pintle was designed to sit below a rotating hook
A CCTV camera feeds a live image of the pintle to the control desk, allowing for precise positioning
Cable reelers follow the rise and fall of the motorised rotating hook, carefully engineered to avoid obstructing any lifting motions

Let's talk more about bespoke handling & manipulation

If you need more than a crane with a hook, let's talk. We will explore your handling challenge with you and advise on the best way forwards. With safety, reliability and performance always in mind.

Call us on +44 114 262 6199, email us at info@scx.co.uk, or complete the contact form below and we'll be in touch.

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