Blade Runner With A Difference

Anipsotiki S.A. places its trust in Goldhofer’s FTV blade lifter to transport wind turbine blades

When it comes to erecting sustainable wind power plants in the windy regions of Greece, Anipsotiki S.A. (Aspropirgos/GR) is often the company of choice for turbine manufacturers and wind farm operators. In order to transport the extra-long turbine blades quickly and safely to even the most remote locations, the road transport specialists employ various blade lifters in the Goldhofer FTV series. That is clearly a good choice: Anipsotiki has now transported a total of 366 wind turbine blades to their airy destinations.

Anipsotiki, the leading Greek specialist transportation company, has been operating for over 50 years in business areas including lifting and transporting heavy and oversized loads, alternative lifting systems, and the erection, servicing and maintenance of turnkey wind power plants. The company’s extensive customer base includes not only the Greek government and state-owned companies but also prominent construction companies, refineries, shipyards and wind turbine manufacturers.

To ensure that the heavy and bulky machinery and components reach their destinations, which are sometimes remote and difficult to reach, as safely and punctually as possible, Anipsotiki has relied on Goldhofer transporters and special equipment since 2009. In addition to numerous towed and self-propelled heavy-duty modules in the THP and »ADDRIVE« series, Goldhofer has primarily supplied various vehicles for transporting wind turbine components. With a fleet comprising several FTVs, pendular axle flatbeds and »BLADEX«, the wind power pro has erected 119 wind farms to date. The company has transported no fewer than 366 wind turbine blades using Goldhofer FTV 300 and FTV 550 blade lifters.

Flexible mastery of demanding routes

In contrast to other cargo, which is placed on the deck of the transport vehicle, the turbine blade is mounted horizontally to the FTV blade lifter – in exactly the same way as it is ultimately mounted on the rotor hub. With the hydraulic tilt mechanism and 360-degree pivot system, the secured turbine blade can be erected up to an angle of 60 degrees and rotated around its own axis as required. In addition to avoiding the need for tree-felling on winding forest roads, the combined tilt and pivot feature makes for easy and aerodynamically safe progress on even the tightest bends on steep sections of the route without the blades being adversely affected by changes in the wind forces or angle of attack. For negotiating streets in built-up areas, the tilt mechanism is used to raise the blade high enough to pass over roadside obstacles such as roof eaves and trees, while lowering the blade provides safe passage under power lines and other structures with height restrictions for vehicles.