Transformer Moving
Hydra-Slide systems are often used by power utilities and crane & rigging operators to move transformers of all sizes. Here are a few critical advantages:
From Transporter to Pad
Getting a transformer that last few dozen feet from a truck, railcar, or Goldhofer into final position is not always easy. Skidding systems like our HT300 (300 ton capacity) and HT500 (500 ton capacity) shine here because they require no overhead clearance- meaning overhead wires can remain in place and energized- and they’re designed to span gaps and handle rough site conditions.
Transformer Changeouts
When a bad transformer needs to be changed out, every minute of downtime costs money. That’s why the rigging crews at some power facilities keep a Hydra-Slide skidding system on-site, ready to mobilize any time, day or night.
In and Out of Tight Spots
Sometimes a transformer needs to move down a narrow alley, or through a doorway. Sometimes overhead wires are just inches away. Our XLP30 (30 ton capacity) and XLP150 (150 ton capacity) skidding systems are completely hand-portable for deployment virtually anywhere, and the working height is a mere 1.25" (32 mm).
Tunnel Boring
The people who design equipment are not often the same people who have to move it, and moving a several-hundred-ton tunnel boring machine (TBM) inside an underground tunnel is no easy task.
Working Underground
The conditions underground- low overhead and confined space- render a lot of load-moving options impossible. These conditions are no problem for jack and slide systems, though! Several of our customers have used Hydra-Slide equipment to facilitate and streamline their TBM moves.
Specialized Equipment
In addition to heavy track skidding systems like the HT500, our turntables can prove extremely useful underground, allowing TBMs to be rotated in place, and jacking load shoes offer improved load distribution and increased capacity to handle these massive loads.
Machinery Moving
Skidding systems are an exciting- and probably underutilized- tool for the purposes of machinery moving.
Safety & Simplicity
Our skidding systems are very easy to understand and easy to use, and all of our Low Profile systems are fully hand-portable too. These systems are also intrinsically safe by keeping loads controlled and close to the ground, and by allowing personnel to remain well clear of moving loads. We recently did a deep dive into this topic and you can read more here.
Sensitive Sites
Skidding systems like our XLP30 and XLP150 are also a great option for sensitive sites- for example, inside a hospital or clean production facility, or any other location where air/soil contaminants must be kept to an absolute minimum.
Vessels & Reactors
Skidding systems are also commonly used for moving all kinds of pressure vessels and reactors- vital components in chemical manufacturing, oil & gas production, and other industries.
Fragile or Oversized Loads
These objects are often very large, and may require lots of support at specific points. While it can be very difficult to suspend a load like this, skidding systems are very flexible in terms of allowing multiple support points as needed along the entire length of the load. In addition, our JLS250 jacking load shoes are designed to provide unparalleled control over load distribution. You can learn all about the JLS250 here.
For a specific job example, check out this case study about the time Myshak Crane & Rigging completed a truly impressive move: using our HT300 skidding system, JLS250 jacking load shoes, and SPU-6D power unit, they slid a 575 ton, 115-foot converter into a fertilizer plant with only inches of clearance.
Unusual Objects
Sometimes the load that needs to move and/or the work site are unfamiliar and challenging- think aquarium glass for a commercial shark tank, or an autonomous submarine that needs to move across the deck of a ship while at sea.
Those aren't random ideas, they're both moves that our customers have pulled off using Hydra-Slide systems!
The point is this- skidding systems are incredibly versatile, handling a wide range of load weights, dimensions, and characteristics in all kinds of different conditions. The same system that's moving a transformer into position today might be sent off to a remote site tomorrow; or a mine shaft, or the second floor of a crowded paper mill: wherever there's a job that needs to be done.
The Ghost Shark- a novel autonomous submarine prototype- shown here on an XLP150 skidding system supported with ABX aluminum beams.