PALFINGER: Four Life Rafts and a Loader Crane - Safety at the Highest Level

In order to ensure every situation is covered, ferries such as the Megastar from Estonia are equipped with life rafts. Making sure that they function reliably in an emergency means they need to be checked every year. With a weight of up to half a ton, a loading height of 22 meters and a time frame of just one hour, this is no easy task. Unless the PALFINGER PK 135.002 TEC 7 is parked on the quay to lift them off the ship.

Advertisement

Six times a day, the Megastar ferry carries up to 2,800 passengers and 150 cars between the Estonian capital Tallinn and the Finnish metropolis of Helsinki. The two-hour ferry connection is one of the busiest in the Baltic Sea. Because they are boarded and disembarked several times a day, ferries such as the Megastar are exposed to higher risks, which is why particular attention is paid to safety. That includes the annual maintenance and inspection of life rafts, for example. This is where the PALFINGER PK 135.002 TEC 7 comes into play.

Safety at sea

In order to be able to put the life rafts through their paces, they need to be lifted off the ship and examined in the workshop within a time frame of just one hour due to the tight ferry schedule. That is why the Estonian transport company “Sintravella” was given the job of transporting the Megastar's four life rafts from the port of Tallinn to the service workshop. Which raises the question of how the life rafts can be handled easily, quickly and safely. The answer is clear and is already in action at the quay: it is the PK 135.002 TEC 7. The first of its kind in Estonia.

The perfect tool for the job

The PK 135.002 TEC 7 H with fly jib PJ150 E easily handles the life rafts, which weigh around 500 kilograms and are located approx. 22 meters above the quayside. With its maximum lifting capacity of up to 30,000 kg and a maximum reach of 36.6 meters, it manages the task effortlessly, especially with the radio remote control. The convenient P-Fold assistance system also makes disassembling and folding the crane very easy for the operator. For crane operator Vahur, it is the first PALFINGER crane in his professional career and “every operation so far has completely convinced me of this crane, no matter how complicated the circumstances were at first glance,” he says with a grin. On each of the two missions, two of the four life rafts were unloaded from the ship and transported to the customer’s workshop in a very short time. “At no point was this mission a challenge for me as a crane operator. I was able to operate the crane conveniently by radio remote control, maneuver the load easily and complete the mission as quickly as possible. All I can say is: mission accomplished,” says Vahur, Sintravella, delighted.

And ferry passengers between Helsinki and Tallinn can enjoy the trip aboard the Megastar with peace of mind for the next twelve months. That is because in the event of an emergency, their safety is ensured.