An Alimak SE rack and pinion industrial elevator is installed within an access tower at Williamstown Shipyard’s Nelson Pier. Used as the primary means of gaining access to the hulls of docked ships, the Alimak elevator improves safety at the shipyard by providing emergency and stretcher access.
Providing access to ship hulls
Alimak was awarded the contract to design, manufacture and install an Alimak rack and pinion men and materials elevator at Williamstown Shipyard’s Nelson Pier. Located in the north of Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay, Nelson Pier has undergone a multi-million dollar upgrade to accommodate increased traffic at the port. Infrastructure improvements included the construction of a new 40m mooring dolphin, access towers and brows to allow personnel and equipment to reach ship hull-decks from the pier level. An Alimak industrial rack and pinion elevator was pre-designed into the new infrastructure to provide vertical transport to the hulls of docked ships, via the pier’s access tower.
Flexibility and extended car size
Commissioned in July 2012, the Alimak SE elevator provides vertical access to ships’ hulls from the pier ground level, allowing for the easy movement of men, materials and equipment, as well as providing emergency stretcher access. Site conditions made it necessary for the elevator to be fitted to the inclined ramp of the pier; the flexible nature of the Alimak SE industrial elevator range made this easily possible.
As the primary means of access to the hulls of ships docked at Nelson Pier, the Alimak industrial elevator is used to transport personnel, materials, tools and equipment, freeing up use of the pier cranes. Selected for its extended car size and 1600kg capacity, the Alimak SE elevator is capable of carrying palletized loads and emergency stretchers.
Emergency access and evacuation
The incorporation of the Alimak elevator into the pier’s access tower has improved efficiency and safety on the shipyard site by providing a means of emergency access and evacuation. In the event of an injured person on a ship’s hull, the Alimak industrial elevator allows an emergency response team to reach and safely transport injured workers using a stretcher.
Ideally suited for operation in even the most extreme environments, the durable nature of the Alimak SE range of elevators has made it the perfect access solution for the exposed pier. Composed of hot-dipped galvanized steel, the Alimak industrial elevator ensures maximum operator comfort and usability, without compromising on efficiency.
