Raising the bar with a new travel lift

Volvo Penta is supplying 5-liter engines to CIMOLAI Technology for a new marine hoist. The engines’ power enables the machine to raise boats weighing up to 560 tons, out of the water, for maintenance and dry-dock transportation.

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“Volvo Penta and its industrial products dealer, Carmi, have begun working with Italian manufacturer, CIMOLAI Technology to supply twin TAD571VE engines for a new travel lift. The MBH 560 is a mobile unit that enables marinas to hoist large boats in or out of the water, for launching, repairs and maintenance. It has already proven to be a success during testing when it lifted a 550-ton boat which had previously failed to be raised by a similar machine at a port in Turkey.

“As a Volvo Penta dealer, we represent a global organization and our mission is to work in close quarters with the customer in order to achieve symbiosis between machine and engine, to reach the best possible performance,” says Francesco Girotti, sales and application engineer for industrial engines at Carmi. 

“With this sort of lifting, once the boat is out of the water the load is applied immediately, so the engine has to give a very rapid response to avoid shutdown. Volvo Penta’s five-liter engines performed perfectly in this demanding field test with CIMOLAI’s machine, with less than 2 per cent rpm deflection from zero to full load.” 

Specialist lifting equipment

CIMOLAI Technology, based near Venice in northern Italy, has been manufacturing specialist lifting equipment such as mobile straddle transporters, cranes, launching gantries and travel lifts since 2004. Its products service several industrial settings, including shipyards and marinas, civil engineering yards, steel factories, renewable energy production, and other large tailor-made applications. 

For Volvo Penta, CIMOLAI Technology is a new customer. “We have a lot of experience and knowledge of marine applications so we have a good reputation, and that was part of the appeal for CIMOLAI,” says Matteo Mambelli, Volvo Penta’s sales representative for industrial versatile engines. 

“We are very present in this field. They wanted a simple solution and our engines are easy to install. We make all the constituent parts rather than using other suppliers, and we can service everything, so that makes it easy for OEMs from a maintenance point of view.

Versatile uses

Volvo Penta’s TAD571VE is a powerful yet economical four-cylinder off-road engine. Running at 175hp, it offers excellent torque at low rpm, enabling a quick response and ease of movement of heavy machinery. With exceptional fuel efficiency and an exhaust aftertreatment that uses a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system rather than a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), it maximizes uptime and provides low cost of ownership.

For CIMOLAI Technology, the manufacture of the MBH 560 expands its range of travel lifts. 

“We decided to use Volvo Penta’s engines because of their performance and due to the knowledge the company has of both the marine and off-road industries,” says Donato Cecchin, electrical department manager at CIMOLAI Technology. “We have created a good working relationship.” 

Enzo Pilotto, CIMOLAI Technology’s purchasing manager, adds: “As the engine is compliant for Stage IV regulations, it means that our MBH 560 can be sold and used in any marina in Europe or the world. And it can also be used in the construction industry, so this gives both of our companies the opportunity to be present in other markets. It has versatile uses.”