Monster Machines – an overview over the biggest transportation devices of the TII Group

The TII Group is known as world market leader in the manufacture of heavy transportation vehicles. But it’s not only the market share that counts for us, it’s the technical fascination, that fuels us every day. Take a look at this compilation of TII Group vehicles with extraordinary dimensions and you will understand why.

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Reel Carriers are used to transport cable reels for the offshore industry. Despite their huge dimensions, they have to be able to position the load very precisely and have to be easy to operate. NICOLAS has long-term experience in the manufacture of Reel Carriers up to 500 tons weight. Electronic steering allows different programs of load moving. The Reel Carrier can be adapted to every purpose and customized as wanted.

When a standard series truck can‘t deliver the performance required for more demanding transportation operations, NICOLAS has the answer – the Tractomas. The Guinness Book of World Records has in fact confirmed that the Tractomas TR 10x10, developed and produced by NICOLAS Industrie, has the highest tractive force in the world. The NICOLAS Tractomas can pull trailers and semi-trailers and has been in use for decades in different countries and different versions. However, the Tractomas’ huge thrust can be increased still further. In connection with the “PowerBooster” auxiliary drive system, more performance can be achieved. The PowerBooster feature in the Tractomas prevents loss of speed when negotiating inclines. If needed, the PowerBooster cuts in automatically and provides sufficient driving force. An additional advantage is the improved cooling performance through the PowerBooster. Thus, transports can be carried out without any problems even under extreme climatic conditions, e.g. at 50° C in the desert.

The 82-tons KAMAG Slag Pot Transporter is 11.9 metres long, 7.7 metres wide, 4.3 metres high and can transport payloads of up to 130 tonnes. The Slag Pot Transporterr is driven by a Caterpillar C15 diesel engine with 403 kW (548 hp) at 2100 rpm along with an Allison Series 4,000 transmission unit. The single-axle prime mover efficiently pulls the 5.8 metre long and 4.35 metre high slag pot - with a capacity of 45 m³ - and has been newly developed by KAMAG in order to transport the ever increasing loads without any problems. The 2800 series represents Slag Pot Transporters constructed using a U-frame design which are used, for example, for handling slag pots in areas of restricted heights, e.g. driving through production facility doorways. Here, the rear end of the vehicle encircles the slag pot which is then lifted to the designated transport height. A tipping angle of up to 130° is standard. The main advantages of this series are the low pick-up height and short pick-up time. The vehicle can easily be modified for the transportation of molten steel.

Ship Section Transporters from SCHEUERLE and KAMAG have revolutionized the transportation of individual sections up to complete ships in the shipbuilding industry. Heavy loads of up to 1,000 tons can be moved with only one vehicle. By combining several vehicles to form one large unit, extreme loads of 5,000 tonnes and more can be transported. The hydraulic system that allows accurate positioning and powerful lifting hydraulics is the central feature that makes the Ship Section Transporter from KAMAG an indispensable piece of equipment to ensure cost-effective logistical operations in the shipbuilding industry.

24 steered axles, 48 tyres, and around 25 metres long: the SCHEUERLE Non-Cassette Carrier has a very impressive appearance. But not only this, even more impressive is the versatility of the vehicle in use: the SCHEUERLE Non-Cassette Carrier not only moves stacks of steel plate during in-company operations without requiring any pallets, but can also be used in combination with a transport ship as part of a roll-on roll-off concept. The design of the Non-Cassette Carrier is based on a robust ladder-type frame which is combined with the proven, hydraulically-supported SCHEUERLE pendulum axles and fourteen integrated lifting forks. In order to be able to also accommodate the required payload of 250 tons, if this does not extend over the entire length of the vehicle, each individual fork has been designed to handle 30 tons of load. The vehicle is powered by the proven MAN six-cylinder with 338 kW which has long been successfully used in the Power Packs from SCHEUERLE to drive the InterCombi SP. When designing the pendulum axles, the engineers relied very much on the 30 years of experience with the SPMT pendulum axle technology that has proven itself worldwide in the toughest of conditions for the transport of the world's heaviest loads. A camera and radar system facilitates the handling of the Non-Cassette Carrier and allows the driver to precisely position the vehicle thus resulting in safe and efficient working conditions. In addition to the lifting fork operations, the vehicle can also be loaded from above.

The SCHEUERLE Antenna Transporter “ESO” is 20 metres long, 10 metres wide, 6 metres high and weighs 130 tonnes. The most extraordinary aspect about the project is the operational conditions for the two special vehicles which are being used on the 5.000 m high Llano de Chajnantor site in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. Due to diverse research projects, different arrangements and positioning of altogether 66 radio telescopes is required there. These are installed on 200 specially-built foundations in an area covering 15 x 15 kilometres, and the radio telescopes can be positioned accordingly depending on the research project. The special task for the transporters is to ensure the exact positioning of the radio telescopes on their respective foundations. This means all telescopes can be activated in unison and, functioning as one single antenna, reach unimaginable large distances into outer space. In this configuration, the antennas are 10-times more accurate than the Hubble space telescope. In spite of its enormous dimensions, the special transporter can be operated by only one person. Sensitive driving is made possible by the hydrostatic drive which guarantees accurate positioning of the radio telescopes on the foundations – down to the nearest millimetre. At the same time, the electronically regulated all-wheel steering system supports precise manoeuvring operations in order to lift the sensitive antennas from the foundations or re-position them using specially-developed pick-up equipment which functions similar to that of an inclined elevator. Both the drive system and brakes must fulfil special requirements with regard to reliability and safety. In particular, when driving on the access road to the high plateau, with its 10% gradient and gravel surface, powerful traction drive is required - here, the driving power is transferred via large-dimensioned tyres complete with special profiles to the roadway itself.