Brelx on the electric drive
Brelx, specialising in all-electric crane brakes, recently retrofitted its first major electric wheel brakes on an STS crane at Ports America Chesapeake.
Since it started developing crane brakes around 10 years ago, Canada’s Brelx has been on a mission to bring all-electric designs to the market. This journey continues with Brelx having now completed the installation and commissioning of its first major retrofit of electric wheel brakes, for an STS crane at Ports America Chesapeake in Baltimore. This was a retrofit project where the wheel brakes replaced hydraulic rail clamps.
“The Brelx EWB-120 brakes are spring set, electric release with zero hydraulics. Complete electric control panels were included as part of a turnkey package to minimise re-cabling on the crane and effects on existing PLC logic and motor control centre controls. Electric wheel brakes provide additional emergency dynamic braking under emergency conditions. This is an advantage over static braking only devices,” Brelx explained.
Second generation designs
Brelx has installed its electric release storm brakes in other applications. These include 400kN top flange mount rail clamps installed on a California power generating station service crane, and 100kN top flange electric rail clamps installed on a large materials handling tripper.
“These new second-generation electric rail clamps are more modular in construction. The electro-mechanical actuators can be easily removed and replaced quickly, without detailed disassembly and repair under field conditions,” Brelx added.
In the container crane sector, Brelx has won an order to supply the full brake packages for six new ZPMC STS cranes for GCT Vancouver. The brake systems consist of main hoist and boom, thruster and emergency disc brakes, long gantry travel and trolley thruster disc brakes, as well as a full complement of EWB-60 electric wheel brakes.
Continuing on the electric path, Brelx is introducing a new electric rail brake for braking on rail top surfaces, where braking on the sides of the rail is neither practical nor possible. The braking force is spring applied and “dynamic braking will also be possible,” Brelx noted.
The rail brake accommodates what Brelx called an “extra-large clearance” from the crane rail to the friction pad. The company says its patented design delivers the same applied braking force and holding capacity regardless of the distance between the friction shoe and the rail.
Brelx says its sales of electric release storm brakes are increasing, but for customers that want hydraulic versions, it offers its line of RRC fully retractable rail clamps. These “are especially attractive for use on high-speed cranes, as they have zero components near the rail when the crane is in motion,” Brelx concluded.