Mechanical Advantage

Archimedes of Syracuse was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer and inventor from the ancient city of Syracuse in Sicily. Despite the limited information available about his life, he's widely recognized as one of the foremost scientists of classical antiquity and one of the greatest mathematicians in history.

Archimedes is often quoted as saying: "Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth." This is normally associated with his work on levers, as demonstrated in his work, On the Equilibrium of Planes. However, it was later attributed by the philosopher Olympiodorus to Archimedes' invention of a windlass-like device called the baroulkos. It's said that he used this baroulkos to launch a giant ship using only the power of one hand.

Credited with such discoveries as Archimedes Principle, in which a body submerged in water displaces the water by its exact volume, and such inventions as the Archimedes Screw, first used as a sort of ballast pump and ultimately an efficient method for raising water, Archimedes' thinking influenced scientists of the Renaissance and laid the groundwork for many future discoveries.

Dry & Docked

Getting ships in and out of the water efficiently is a competitive advantage for any shipyard, and Norwegian-based Syncrolift AS specializes in designing and building solutions for more safely and efficiently docking and undocking ships whether on a shiplift, floating dock or slipway.

By making smart use of modern controls engineering to ensure levelled liftings, Syncrolift's shiplifts and transfer systems allow multiple vessels to be berthed onshore simultaneously, providing easy access for efficient repairs and maintenance in an environmentally safe area, away from the water. The operation can be completed 30 percent faster than competitors, a crucial advantage for clients like Dubai Maritime City, where docking operations involve upwards of 1,200 vessels per year.

Building on the success of its original, but now obsolete, articulated lifting platform, the company has developed a wide range of tools to reduce turnaround time even further. From automatically adjusting keel blocking and hull supports to propeller pullers and azimuth thruster handlers, these tools enable ships upwards of 30,000 GT to be docked and dry faster than ever.

With a market share of 60 percent and more than 280 Syncrolift© systems installed worldwide, the company provides maintenance services and upgrade solutions that modernize drive and control systems, significantly improve safety and increase nominal lifting capacities while extending the lifespan of existing installations up to 50 years or more.

"Slung and Lifted"

That's what Cimolai Technology does best. The Italian-based company specializes in lifting and handling equipment for marinas and shipyards, especially mobile boat hoists, which allow huge boats to be strapped, lifted and transported anywhere they need to go in the yard.

Using an innovative system of beam-mounted soft slings, the boat is simply sailed into the slip, the straps adjusted for proper load distribution, and the entire load lifted out of the water with the turn of a winch. The fully articulated, electrically driven wheels then move it where it needs to go.

Cimolai recently provided the world's largest, fully electric boat hoist to Hyak Maritime in Astoria, Oregon. The 1,500-ton capacity boat hoist is powered using long-life lithium batteries and represents an important achievement with respect to environmental sustainability.

This boat hoist is the most recent to be installed in the U.S., where other major installations include the 820-ton and 200-ton mobile boat hoists delivered to Derecktor Shipyard in Dania Beach, Florida and the 485-, 220- and 145-ton boat hoists installed at Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center. The installation of an 820-ton telescopic boat hoist will also begin shortly.

Promoting its brand beyond the maritime world, Cimolai recently developed a novel attraction at Rockefeller Center in New York City that recreates the iconic 1932 photo, "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper," which shows 11 workers eating lunch on a steel beam above the streets of Manhattan while 30 Rock was under construction.

Known as "The Beam," it's located on the 69th floor at the Top of the Rock. Visitors are strapped to the beam, which rises 12 feet above the Observation Deck, then makes a 180-degree turn for spectacular views of Central Park and Manhattan.

Maximizing Line Pull

No machine more clearly demonstrates mechanical advantage than the deck winch. With an appropriately sized drum and motive power system, the venerable winch can move nearly anything. Strength and reliability are especially important when it comes to ship-assist operations, which support the safe maneuvering of massive vessels docking and departing in port.

New York-based McAllister Towing recently announced an order for series 240 JonRie Escort Winches to be installed aboard the tugs Vicki and Janet McAllister. McAllister is undertaking modifications of both tugs, and replacement of the hydraulic winches was seen as the wisest decision.

"Brandon has done well with everything he's undertaken," notes Marty Costa, veteran Engineering Manager at McAllister Towing, referring to Brandon Durar, President of the JonRie Division at Markey Machine in Seattle. "The entire fleet had been outfitted with JonRie not so long ago. JonRie winches are familiar, readily operable and easy to troubleshoot as well."

The JonRie Series 240 Escort Winch develops 15 tons of bare-drum line pull at 75 feet/minute with the speed increasing to 150 feet/minute at mid-drum. The model accommodates 600 feet of 8.5" circumference synthetic line, which is much lighter and easier to handle than traditional wire.

Brake-holding capacity is a robust 300 tons bare drum. Supplied with the winch is a skid-mounted hydraulic power unit (HPU) with a 60HP/460VAC electric motor. The HPU includes a counterbalance valve to prevent over-speeding. The unit has both a foot pedal and joystick for operation. Safety features include an emergency-release button.

The winches will be delivered in 2025.

Going Big

Mechanical advantage really just boils down to lifting and pulling, and Timberland Equipment designs equipment to do just that.

The company is unique in that it's not just an engineering firm, but an OEM as well. The niche is found in the designs, made fit for purpose across a variety of industries, from construction to mining to marine. The cross-industry learnings are what allow for out-of-the-box thinking and innovative solutions to be created.

Besides a full suite of marine deck equipment including capstans, mooring winches, cable lay and dredging equipment, the company also specializes in deepwater mooring systems for offshore floaters and FPSOs. The Gulfstar FPS (floating production spar) at the Tubular Bells Field in the Gulf of Mexico is a 9-point, 127mm chain mooring system that was designed with rapid deployment in mind and completed in just nine days.

Timberland currently has a massive hose reel package going out for deployment on a stimulation vessel. At a towering 16 feet, the company's full-service approach means it's appropriately powered and right-sized for the job.

And when it comes to big lifts, there are few cranes more impressive than the heavy lifting device (HLD) located in Ingleside, Texas at the Kiewit Shipyard. Rated at 13,000 tons, the HLD is the largest onshore lifting device in the Western Hemisphere, and the traction winches that make it all possible are manufactured by Timberland.

The Big Advantage

From simple levers and pulleys to engineered marvels capable of lifting and moving entire ships with ease, the innovations being brought to the market are impressive. Without these crucial pieces of equipment and the support teams behind them, none of what we do today would be possible.

Archimedes would be proud of what others have achieved using his founding principles.