Independent operating diesel-hydraulic grabs made by ORTS

ORTS has been a highly respected maker of independent operating diesel-hydraulic grabs since 1995.

 

The company was founded 1972, still family owned and the production facilities are located in Germany.

 

Right from the outset, the main business has been the construction and production of grabs for dry bulk handling.

 

Over the years, other equipment for transport, material handling, dredging and salvage became part of the product line:

 

Electro-hydraulic grabs are designed and produced by ORTS GmbH. The electro-hydraulic grab is equipped with an electric motor to power the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump brings the hydraulic cylinder into action, forcing grab buckets to open and close. Power is supplied to the electro-hydraulic grab via a power-cable that is situated at the crane jib with some additional equipment, e.g. cable drum, rope drum, guide rollers.

 

Fully radio-controlled diesel-hydraulic grabs have been constructed and produced by ORTS GmbH for more than 25 years. A radio-controlled diesel hydraulic grab is a crane attachment that is operated independently of power cables or hydraulic lines; it is completely self-sufficient and is operated via a radio control device by the crane driver or another person at the loading room. Thus, a radio-controlled grab can be used on any crane, since an external power supply is not necessary. A diesel engine inside the grab provides the power to drive the hydraulic pump. The crane operator has to send commands to move the buckets via a radio control. The way of controlling the movements of the buckets/clamshells is identical to that on an electro-hydraulic grab. They are fast, reliable and a better alternative solution compared to mechanical single rope grabs.

 

Another advantage to mechanical single-rope grabs is the lower dead weight and that there is no working/operational height requirement.

 

A few years ago ORTS also developed smaller diesel-hydraulic grabs for construction places, biogas-plants and truck cranes.

 

Mechanical rope grabs can have one rope, two ropes or four ropes. Some rare special cranes need three-rope grabs. As the name suggests, a mechanical grab is operated by means of cable/rope systems only (pulley block/lifting block) and requires no power supply or hydraulic lines. A mechanical grab is used for loading and unloading of bulk materials in ports, at industrial plants, as well as in operations at ore smelting and blast furnaces. It is also used in port facilities.

 

Here a purely mechanical grab is a great advantage, as they are mechanical and robust. No electronics, no hydraulic parts. ‘Pimped’ mechanical grabs with e.g. radio control and hydraulic system lose this advantage. Mechanical single-rope grabs are the oldest grab system. They are slower, and handle fewer tonnes per hour, and have a higher dead weight compared with motor grabs (diesel hydraulic or electro-hydraulic).

 

Beside the motor-grabs (electro-hydraulic and radio controlled diesel-hydraulic) and the mechanical rope grabs, ORTS GmbH also provides the construction and production of lifting beams, traverses and lifting frames.