English - Nooteboom Giants on the Road Magazine English - Nr. 6 - 2019 | Page 31

TECHNOLOGY REPORTAGE 4,600 1,000 100 135 40 61 70 65 85 2023 MM Maximum diameter of tower section MM The LIFTAD can lift a tower section by 1,000 mm TON Maximum lifting capacity of the LIFTAD TON Maximum gross weight of the combination including tower section M Maximum length of the load M Total length with a 40m tower section TON The NLD-70 self-tracking dolly is good for 7 x 10 tonnes axle weight TON GVW of a 4-axle JPD-65 jeepdolly Number of Mega Windmill Transporters delivered At the end of 2023 the European patent expires DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS The Nooteboom MWT can be used in different configurations, for instance with a 2-axle,3-axle or 4-axle jeepdolly at the front combined with a 5- or 6-axle module, or a 7-axle self-tracking dolly at the rear. Depending on the diameter of the tower section, the LIFTAD-100 has a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes and a lifting height of 1,000 mm. The MWT is also used in Australia and the USA. With these adapters the tower sections can be loaded and unloaded without the use of a crane. EUROPEAN PATENT In 2005 Nooteboom submitted a patent application for the LIFTAD construction. At the end of 2018 the patent (no EP1558464) was finally granted. The patent remains valid until the end 2023. The MWT is an important transport concept for the tower sections of wind turbines. Almost every day more than 85 Mega Windmill Transporters are being used and every year new MWT’s are added to this number. Just as was the case with the EURO-PX, the MWT proves that the innovative solutions of Nooteboom have an unprecedented economic and technical lifespan.  ■ 31