EBI Partners with Hägglunds Drives for liftboat jacking systems

EBI Mechanical Systems, LLC, Houma, La., is partnering with Bosch Rexroth’s Hägglunds Drives to develop a 430 kip jacking drive, announces Elevating Boat LLC President and CEO Ken Serigne. The drive will power jacking machinery EBI is offering for use on a 415 ft leg liftboat, a vessel large enough to perform drilling or workover activities.

Hägglunds will provide the complete drive, including power units, motors, and touch screen controls, while EBI provides gearboxes, pinions, and engineering support of the jacking structure. Both will commission the system on-site at Zhoushan Shipyard near Shanghai, China.

Since 1954 EBI has built components, cranes, and complete liftboats, for both for its own Gulf of Mexico fleet and outside sale. In recent years it has entered the international market, supplying shipyards in China and Vietnam with jacking machinery and crane components for six vessels. EBI and Hägglunds are currently delivering machinery for 178 kip jacking drives on two vessels entering service in in late 2011 and early 2012.

“We are very confident in the ability of Hägglunds to support these large international projects. They have proven to be very responsive to customer requests and inquiries and have the necessary resources available to handle projects of this magnitude,” said Mr. Serigne. “We are very excited about future projects that are made possible through our joint efforts.”

With an increasing need for larger vessels, EBI is developing larger drives with its trademark 12-tooth pinion. Motors with sufficient torque could not reach the top speeds needed. Motors with sufficient speeds could not produce the torque needed and so required higher quantities of (costly) pinions. EBI approached Hägglunds and found that its equipment offered the power density to enable the highest jacking speeds in the industry.

Hägglunds also will provide worldwide assistance and on-site support for the sophisticated equipment.

Hägglunds’ design of the hydraulic power unit and controls meets ABS requirements.

June 21, 2011