Customer: Square Kilometre Array SA (African VLBI Project)

Location:Kutunse, Accra, Ghana

Challenge:After 30 years of service as a telecommunications satellite earth station, the wheel and track type antenna had moved 6mm out of its central rotation position due to wear on its pintle post bearing pads. In order to restore the position of the 250 ton antenna, it needed to be lifted and moved laterally back to center.

Solution:Positioned alongside two of the satellite’s four wheels were CLP-Series pancake lock nut cylinders. Under each cylinder were Teflon sliding plates acting as bearings. Powered by two P-Series hydraulic steel hand pumps, the pancake cylinders lifted the wheels +/- 5mm to clear the track. The mechanical locking collar of the CLP cylinders secured the load while an RCS-Series low height cylinder placed at the antenna’s pintle post applied 3 tonnes of lateral force to slide the antenna on Teflon bearing pads towards the center. The portability of the lightweight hand pump and cylinder set was an ideal solution due to the remote location of the satellite.

Products:CLP-Series pancake lock nut hydraulic cylinder, RCS-Series low height hydraulic cylinder, P-Series hydraulic steel hand pump

Year:2014