Boom Stops

Seatrax offshore cranes can come equipped with hydraulic boom stops that also function as a high angle limit system. This system helps operators safely control the boom at angles greater than 83 degrees. As the oil and gas industries invest more into deepwater offshore operations, additional supplies and larger equipment are stored on location, increasingly taking up more space. This lack of space combined with platforms' growing sizes, forces manufacturers to produce cranes with longer booms that must work at closer radii to maximize the use of available deck space.

To solve these problems, Seatrax developed its patented hydraulic boom stop. The hydraulic boom stop offers several advantages over conventional spring hard boom stops, which include:

• The crane operator's upward and downward movement of the boom controls the movement of the hydraulic boom stops, allowing for automatic speed control while raising and lowering the boom when it is working at a close radius.
• Controlling the motion of the hydraulic boom stop allows the crane to work at higher than normal boom angles, using more deck area around the crane.
• Extending the hydraulic boom stop pushes the boom forward and acts as an additional kick-out control, preventing the boom from becoming trapped at high angles because of dynamic conditions, such as high winds.
• Booming up into the boom stops forces hydraulic oil against the boom hoist control valve, which acts as a gradual speed reducer of the luffing hoist.

For more information, review our technical paper on boom stops or call 713-896-6500.