Yankee-Cylinder

The challenge

Insertion of a 145-tonne-container

Prangl specialists were sent for to help with the expansion of a paper mill in Dunaföldvár, Hungary. A 145-tonne Yankee cylinder for drying paper had to be brought into the hall and “threaded” into its location - in the truest sense of the word. This was because space was in short supply due to the prepared installations.

Our solution

Choosing the optimal equipment

As with all tasks assigned to Prangl, the experts had to decide on suitable devices when planning the process. It quickly became clear that the key player in this case was going to be a hydraulic gantry. This is not only optimal for limited, tight spaces, it also makes precise positioning of the load possible with its multiple telescopic hydraulic jacks and a special rail system. A forklift truck, a scissor lift and three articulating boom lifts were also used as assistants.

Maximum precision

The powerful Yankee cylinder (5.70 metres high, 5.50 metres wide and 9.20 metres long) was driven carefully into the new production hall by a 6-axle self-propelled trailer and positioned diagonally beneath the hydraulic gantry. In order to have enough space between the rails, even the drive unit of the self-propelled trailer had to be dismantled. Then, the hydraulic gantry could take on the drying unit. But the task was still not finished; the Hungarian authorities still had to carry out a compulsory pressure test on-site.

Perfect team-work

In order to be able to carry out the test, the Yankee was set down just a few centimetres above the final position on a prepared steel structure. Then, the cylinder was filled with a total of 150 cubic metres of water, whereby the total weight increased to almost 300 tonnes. The test was successful and the water could be drained. The Yankee was lifted again, the steel structure removed and the container finally placed on its prepared site. Once again, meticulous planning ensured that everything ran smoothly.