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Vishay KOSD load cells on one of the world’s largest offshore pipe laying vessels, CSO ‘Deep Blue’
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Application Requirement
The challenge was how to measure the high forces associated with large (28-inch) pipe laying equipment onboard a ship.
Customer Concern
Pipe laying hold-back forces are critical in marine pipe laying for optimum speed and operational safety. The module’s structure consists of the hydraulic pipe-clamp assembly, which can traverse the “moonpool” area laterally and fore/aft within a huge trolley mounted on four bogies. Each bogie has four wheels traveling on tracks alongside the moonpool. The wheeled interface provides a site for the total hold-back force. The problem confronting Vishay was how to supply force-monitoring equipment within this structure that would be capable of reliable operation at forces in excess of 500 tons.
Vishay Solution
Incorporating four KOSD 2-MN double Shear Beam Load Cells in each bogey made it possible to determine a total reaction loading of 3200 tons. Each axle of the bogey had a KOSD, a simple engineering solution incorporated in at the design phase of the project. The KOSD Load Cell family is well known through its use in thousands of towing and mooring winch installations throughout the offshore oil and marine industries.
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