Hydraulic Cylinders Provide Muscle for Pipelaying

Enerpac, Menomonee Falls, Wis., supplied dozens of high-pressure hydraulic cylinders for the topside lift system beams on Allseas ‘Pioneering Spirit’ vessel. Allseas Group S.A., Châtel-Saint-Denis, Switzerland,  is a global leader in offshore pipeline installation and subsea construction. The company operates a versatile fleet of specialized pipelay and support vessels designed and developed in-house.

The cylinders are an integral part of the vessel’s lift system, enabling the installation and decommissioning of complete topsides weighing up to metric 48,000 tons. ‘Pioneering Spirit’ is the largest platform installation, decommissioning, and pipelay vessel in the world. The vessel’s 16 lifting beams feature 64 Enerpac CLRG Series high-tonnage, double-acting hydraulic cylinders arranged in groups of four. Designed specifically for heavy lifting up to 1,000 metric tons, the cylinders were delivered within three months of Enerpac signing the contract with Allseas.

Not only do the cylinders provide the impressive lifting forces needed for this application, they do so  with precise control. This level of lifting accuracy enables the ‘Pioneering Spirit’ to use the fast lift method.  The lifting beams extend during installation and decommissioning, allowing platform topsides to be lifted several meters. 

Each custom 1,000 -ton cylinder was designed by Enerpac’s engineering team near Madrid, Spain, and produced in Hengelo, Netherlands. To ensure long, trouble-free operation offshore, the   cylinders have high corrosion resistance. For example, the parts were first given an 80/20 nickel-chrome plasma spray, then an aluminum-titanium plasma spray. Two layers of special coating to close the pores of the steel followed this. A final baked-enamel finish and plated pistons for each cylinder are compliant with the NORSOK M-501 standard for surface preparation and protective coating.

For more information on Enerpac high-pressure hydraulic cylinders, call (262) 293-1600 or visit www.enerpac.com.