“Everything we do is aimed at solving critical issues associated with lifting and orientating your loads.”
That is the mission statement for Verton, a Crosby Group company focused on making load control easier and safer through technology.
With their fully-defined mission, Verton created the EVEREST SpinPod, which 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.
In this article, we’ll help you answer the following questions:
- What is the Verton EVEREST SpinPod?
- What features does the EVEREST SpinPod offer you?
- Why would you want to use the EVEREST SpinPod?
- Where has the EVEREST SpinPod been used in the field?
- What is the criteria for repairs, inspections?
What Is the Verton EVEREST SpinPod?
The Verton EVEREST SpinPod 7.5 is a load-orientation solution that allows you to have 360° control of the load under the spreader bar.
The Verton Everest SpinPod 7.5 (SP7.5) is a piece of equipment that 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.
The flywheels (gyroscopes) can spin up to 3,000 rpm (revolutions per minute), generating enough torque to move loads up to 25-35 tons (depending on the orientation and area of the load). With the SP7.5, riggers can control the suspended load from a safe distance (up to 200 m), making lifting operations hands-free.
This technology has been developed with the intention of removing operators from the danger zone. With the ability to control loads with the remote control, 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 very challenging and dangerous operations.
What Benefits Does the EVEREST SpinPod 7.5 Offer You?
Increased Load Control
The Sp7.5 offers riggers and crane operators increased control and safety in their day-to-day operations. By using the SP7.5, riggers can safely orient suspended loads with increased precision and efficiency.
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 end-users are 38, 62 and 400% improvements using the SP7.5 over traditional methods with taglines. These efficiency improvements were achieved while improving safety at the same time.
The EVEREST SpinPod 7.5 unit itself is 2,800 lbs., and can control up to 25 tons. It rotates at a max 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.
Battery Life
The battery’s lifespan lasts between 8 and 10 hours of operational use. That’s live, active spinning of the unit itself. Also, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod has battery regeneration capability. When you get to the end of a pick and want to recapture some of that energy, you have the ability to slow down the flywheel and regenerate the battery on-site. The EVEREST SpinPod has a standard 120-volt plug that can be connected to a generator or other sources of power.
The Verton EVEREST SpinPod 7.5’s batteries are IP67 rated. By being IP67 rated, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod 7.5 batteries are completely protected from dust contact and protected against water submersion up to 1 m.
For the Verton to reach full power, it takes only about 45 seconds.
Multiple Configurations
One of the added benefits of using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod is that you can add up to four units onto the spreader beam. Whatever spreader beam you use, you can design it to hold the required units to control the lift.
There’s an EVEREST SpinPod 30, and that unit has four times the capacity of the 7.5 and a slightly bigger body.
What Features Does the EVEREST SpinPod Offer You?
Exact Orientation Control
The remote control itself has six buttons, including:
- Left
- Right
- Speed (rotational speed of the flywheel in rpms)
- Reset (to bring the flywheel angles back to 0)
- Enable
- Hold
The EVEREST SpinPod 7.5 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 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 orientation control of the EVEREST SpinPod 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 they can control it from there.
Safe Operation
The rotational speed is limited to 4° per second, and this is designed in the Verton EVEREST SpinPod 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.
It comes down to incorporating this unit into your pick plans, too. In your pick plans, you want to identify:
- Who’s in charge of the remote?
- Who’s communicating with the crane operator?
Quick Change Battery Packs
These units come with a feature for a quick swap on the battery pack.
The battery is located on the left-hand side of the unit. You’ll get 8 to 10 hours of steady operation at 1,500 rpms. However, if you’re running the Verton EVEREST SpinPod all day, maybe even multiple shifts, and you need a secondary battery pack, you can:
- Pull a second battery pack off the charger
- Swap out the old battery with the new battery
- Continue your operation
- Battery changeover, takes approximately 15 minutes
Why Would You Want to Use the Verton EVEREST SpinPod?
Safer, Smarter, Faster
Safer
The hands-free lifting solution handles suspended loads through a remote control. That removes the need to have workers in the drop zone and being in contact with the load. Also, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod will meet your lifting operation standards by eliminating taglines.
Faster
Using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod can lead to:
- 25% less downtime
- 50% reduction in hook time
- 20% reduction in overtime
- Less time spent and fewer riggers required to orient and control suspended loads
Example: 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 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 using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod, Smith Cranes increased its productivity to 26 lifts per day.
Smarter
While performing the same lifts with the Verton EVEREST SpinPod instead of taglines, you:
- Reduce and reallocate resources with only a single operator needed to rotate loads
- Gain better oversight with dashboard integration analyzing live metrics from onboard sensors and through smart technologies
- Plan, track, analyze and benchmark projects to improve efficiency
Using the Verton EVEREST SpinPods allow the planners to tackle challenging lifts in a different and smarter way.
During an excavation infrastructure project in Brisbane, Australia, the 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.
Where Have the Verton EVEREST SpinPods Been Used in the Field?
North America
While the Verton EVEREST SpinPod is a newer product to the North American markets, it has gained in popularity within several industries. The EVEREST SpinPod 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 EVEREST SpinPod 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 the Verton EVEREST SpinPod, 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 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 using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod, 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
Instead, they used the Verton EVEREST SpinPod and completed the work much faster and safer.
Additionally, the Verton EVEREST SpinPod was used by a company in New Zealand 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, 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 a tagline because the load was being lowered down a shaft. While using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod, the mining company raised its efficiency by 60% because of better load control.
Understanding the length of the load is important when using the Verton EVEREST SpinPod. To ensure the safest lifts possible and decide which EVEREST SpinPod you need, end-users must know the following factors:
- Inertia factor
- Load weight
- Average wind speed for the location of your lifts
Other Industries
The 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
Other industries in which the EVEREST SpinPod 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 Is the Criteria for Repairs, Inspections?
There is documentation through Verton for doing on-site daily inspections, charging the unit, and other routine maintenance items. For more information on maintenance and repairs, click here to contact Verton.
The unit itself is very low maintenance other than keeping the battery charged overnight. For replacement parts, Verton can ship anything that is needed by the end-user. At the top of the Verton EVEREST SpinPod, there are the following elements:
- GPS unit
- Radio control
- Inertia meters to tell you how fast it’s spinning
Other than the battery, everything else is internal to the Verton EVEREST SpinPod.
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 you contacting us, 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 our 65 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!
Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices
We have more than 65 years of experience in designing and developing custom engineered products, below-the-hook lifting devices, and lifting attachments for use with all types of cranes.
On-staff engineering and our commitment to ISO 9001: 2015 guides us to continued success in quality products and processes.
Copyright 2022. Mazzella Companies.