Jack-up platforms have long been the most popular mobile solution in marine operations. Jack-up rigs are used as exploratory drilling platforms and increasingly in connection with offshore wind turbine installation.
Consisting of a buoyant hull fitted with a number of movable legs capable of raising the hull above the surface of the sea, a jack-up rig is heavily dependent on the reliable operation of these legs. They can be designed to penetrate the seabed, be fitted with enlarged sections or footings, or even attached to a bottom mat. No doubt, the gear arrangement is of vital importance.
Modern jacking systems use a rack and pinion gear arrangement, where the pinion gears are driven by hydraulic or electric motors and the rack is fixed to the legs. ATA Gears has all the capabilities to supply the gears to jack up each corner of these whoppers, the WTIV (Wind Turbine Installation Vessel).
The company can boast decades of experience as the most trusted gear manufacturer in the most critical maritime applications as well as close relationships with all major classification societies to ensure a smooth classification process. Sales Director Tami Komssi describes the company’s assets: “The ABS-approved fully automatic heat treatment facility – the greatest in the world – makes sure that the gears we supply are both strong and tough to withstand the harshest environments in both tropics and arctic. Tami Komssi gives further proof of the company’s capabilities: “ATA has a world-class forging supplier network capable of meeting any classification society requirement and standard. ICE class, ABS Grade steels, you name it. We also have a Mutual Survey Arrangement (MSA) with DNV-GL, RMRS and KR, and monthly visits from all the major classification societies (ABS, NK, CCS, LRS, RINA).
“There are 28 parts in a rack and pinion gear arrangement and ATA’s Gear Doctors and state-of-the-art machinery can handle them all, from 3D modeling to final machining with micrometer accuracy,” says Five Axis CNC-Machining Specialist Ville Viinanen proudly and continues: “We certainly have the programming and machining capabilities and owing to our thorough material know-how and own heat treatment facilities, we can manage the entire process and deliver those parts exactly according to the customer’s specifications.” Chief Gear Engineer Jesse Rontu backs this up: “ATA Gears is not limited by any standard or tooth module. We can produce absolutely any gear geometry.”
To experience the industry-leader’s customer service contact the Gear Doctors!