Verton, which The Crosby Group is a partner and master distributor of, created the EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 load control device to make overhead lifts easier, safer, and faster.
The Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 is a load-oriented solution that eliminates the need for taglines and pulls workers away from overhead lifts. The primary goal is safety and being safety-minded, keeping your workers away from a load, away from pinch points, and managing risks with taglines.
The Verton Everest SpinPod™ 7.5 (SP7.5) allows you to have remote 360° control of the load. It attaches to a spreader bar and applies torque moving the suspended load on its axis. The unit is battery powered and uses gyroscopic principles to transfer energy generated from the spinning flywheels into torque to orient the suspended load.
With the ability to control loads via a remote, riggers are no longer required to be near suspended loads to push or pull a tagline. Removing riggers from the vicinity of suspended loads is a significant improvement in safety in these challenging and dangerous operations.
In this article, we’ll help you answer the following questions:
- In what industries has the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 been used in the field?
- What benefits have end-users enjoyed because of this new technology?
- How can you purchase a Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5?
Where Has the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 Been Used in the Field?
North America
While the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 is a newer product to North American markets, it has gained in popularity through its usage within several industries. It has become more prevalent in:
- Wall panel installation
- Flare tips installation on oil and gas projects
Companies have lifted wall panels, brought them to the desired location, tilted the loads and completed the installation. Using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 helped improve efficiency by up to 40%. Additionally, by removing taglines, they created a much safer work environment.
For one specific flare tip installation, there was a structure around the tip. Taglines were difficult to insert into the structure to help with load control. However, by using this new load-orientation solution, the installation company was able to:
- Remove the old tip
- Bring the new tip in
- Complete the installation
- Eliminate the need for a tagline
- Conduct the installation faster and safer
Overseas
Internationally, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 has been used to install HVAC units on top of a major hotel chain in Brisbane, Australia.
The downtown hotel was replacing an HVAC system, and before embracing this new technology, the only way to conduct the replacement was to remove one of the windows from the top floor. The top floor of the hotel was 35 stories high, and with the use of a tagline, the old method for installation required:
- Window removal
- An open-ended container to be sent to the top floor
- Removal of the old HVAC unit
- Lowering the old HVAC unit to the ground level
- Lifting the new HVAC system to the top floor
- Bringing the new unit onto the roof
- Window replacement
Instead, they used the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 and completed the work much faster and safer.
Additionally, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 was used by a New Zealand-based company that installed steel I-beams. With taglines, they had to put in concrete floor panels. When two crews were using taglines, they installed 15 panels per day. With the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5, they were able to reach 26 installs per day.
Also, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ has been used in mining applications. While doing shaft work, a mining company experienced loads crashing into the shaft during rotations. It was difficult to use taglines because the load was being lowered down a shaft. While using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5, the mining company raised its efficiency by 60% because of better load control.
To ensure the safest lifts possible and decide which Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ model you need, end-users must know the following factors:
- Inertia factor
- Load weight
- Average wind speed for the location of your lifts
Other Industries In Which the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 Has Been Used
The Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 controls anything you could think of below the hook, including:
- Metal panels
- Precast concrete structures
- Rebar bundles
- Steel beams
- Anything else you want to have complete control over when flying into a certain position
Roy Hill Mining in Western Australia planned to replace 35 18-ton transformers during a mine shutdown over an eight-day period using traditional taglines. However, with the use of the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5, the task was finished in five days, allowing the mine to start working three days ahead of schedule.
Smith Cranes in New Zealand was working with concrete precast installation. The company completed 16 lifts per day using the traditional method with taglines. After switching to use the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™, Smith Cranes increased its productivity to 26 lifts per day.
During an excavation infrastructure project in Brisbane, Australia, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 was utilized. Its use improved productivity, as it allowed 1,700 tons of spoil to be removed in 24 hours, 400% more than the previous 350 tons removed using the previous methodology.
Other industries where this new load-orientation equipment has been used include:
- Offshore
- Pump change out
- XTree installation
- Infrastructure
- Tunnel and shaft construction
- Stadium construction
- Bridge construction
- Mining
- Shutdown
- Turnaround
- Transformer change out
- Construction
- Precast & prefabrication installation
- Modular construction
- High-rise construction
- Energy & Rail
- Electrical tower section installation
- Railway construction
- Transformer removal / installation
- Lifting & Hoisting
- Crane installation and dismantling
- Unloading and loading supply trucks
- General lifting
What Benefits Have Companies Seen by Using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™?
Based on the feedback received from end-users, Verton has found the following factors as the biggest benefits to using the EVEREST SpinPod™:
- Exact orientation control
- Safe operation
- Peace of mind
- Increased efficiency and productivity
Exact Orientation Control
The remote control itself has six buttons, including:
- Left
- Right
- Speed (rotational speed of the flywheel in rpms, or revolutions per minute)
- Reset (to bring the flywheel angles back to 0)
- Enable
- Hold
The Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ can engage automated rotational control to maintain its orientation, counteracting the load from rotating due to external forces.
With 650’ of line-of-sight control, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 is activated through pressing the “Hold” button, and it will hold its orientation, relative to a specific orientation. This feature is particularly useful when lifting operations take place in windy conditions. By using the “hold” function, operators can line the load with the wind and press “hold.” Then, the SP7.5 will ensure the heading remains the same until the unit is off “Hold” mode. Using this feature minimizes the effects of the wind.
At this point, the operator can change the hold orientation in increments / decrements of 1° by pressing the left and right buttons. This makes orientational control very accurate for lifting operations where precision is of utmost importance.
Example: If you’re lifting a panel over a structure, you can get two remotes with this system with a pitch-and-catch feature. If you’re communicating with your rigger up top and guide on the bottom and lose line of sight, you can cast it to that other remote, and the other operator can control it from there.
Safe Operation
The rotational speed is limited to 4° per second, and this is designed to ensure a safe operation.
The flywheels can spin at different speeds to accommodate bigger and heavier loads. The faster the wheels spin, the greater the torque that can be applied to the suspended load. These speeds are:
- 1,500 rpm
- 2,500 rpm
- 3,000 rpm
That gives you more rotational capacity with increased speed. However, you want to start most lifts at 1,500 rpm. If you need to withstand stiffer winds, you could increase the rpms to 3,000. Because every day is different on a jobsite, the multiple options will be helpful.
Lifting Offset Loads
Successfully lifting an off-center load comes down to the length and size of the objects being lifted. Something could weigh 10,000 lbs. and be 50’ long, and it would have a different center of gravity than a 20-ton piece that’s just 5’ wide and 30’ tall. They will act differently in the air.
The most important thing with an off-center load is identifying the center of gravity. You want to be as close to that center of gravity as possible underneath the hook, which will give you the most reaction forces on the lift.
Peace of Mind
For owners and operators, it provides peace of mind, knowing that as a business owner, you are providing your teams with the latest technologies and mechanical aids to help them do their jobs in a safer and more efficient way.
For lifting planners, it offers additional capabilities and opens the door to approach challenging lifts in a different way. By using the remote-control capabilities of the SP7.5, planners can afford not to close some streets when working in the city. Also, the SP7.5 addresses the skills shortages being experienced in many industries. With the Verton unit, jobs that would require a crew of five or six riggers can now be completed with two or three.
Increased Efficiency and Productivity
Finally, with the increased precision of load orientation, some existing customers experience increased efficiency and are completing jobs ahead of schedule. Examples of efficiency gains from Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ end-users are 38, 62 and 400% improvements over traditional methods with taglines. These efficiency achievements were achieved while improving safety at the same time.
The Verton EVEREST SpinPod™ 7.5 unit itself is 2,800 lbs., and can control up to 25 tons. It rotates at a maximum speed of 4° per second. When you start to get close to the desired spot for the lift, you can slowly tap the directional buttons to give the load its precise location.
How Can Mazzella Help With Your Below-The-Hook Lifting Devices?
Mazzella has partnered with The Crosby Group to become the first North American distributor of the Verton EVEREST SpinPod™. By learning about your business, we’ll be able to help determine if the EVEREST SpinPod™ is the right fit for your lifting application, and which unit is best for you.
Also, with nearly 70 years of experience in designing, developing, and distributing custom-engineered products, below-the-hook lifting devices, and lifting attachments, Mazzella can help you get the correct devices for your specific needs.
Know that by working with Mazzella to solve your problems, you will receive below-the-hook lifting solutions done in compliance with ASME B30.20 Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices and ASME BTH-1 Design of Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices standards.
If you don’t need new lifting solutions, we provide repair or recertification of engineered below-the-hook lifting devices to minimize your downtime.
Click here if you need a repair or recertification of your lifting device.
Call us at 800.362.4601 or click here to specify your next below-the-hook project!
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