#Industry News
A HUCHEZ winch used by scientists in an Arctic research programme
A new tailor-made winch for HUCHEZ Engineering
Since it was set up in 2011, the Takuvik mixed international unit has been trying to gain a better understanding of the impact of current environmental disruption (climate, human, etc.) on Arctic marine ecosystems and terrestrial geosystems. The unit is carrying out a research programme called Green Edge, led jointly by French and Canadian scientists, in Nunavut, a territory in northern Canada.
To help them to carry out this study successfully, sampling is regularly carried out from a base camp on the sea ice. A winch with a tripod as an anchorage point overhanging a hole made in the ice is used by the scientists to lower and lift various oceanographic instruments (sampling probes, etc.) as part of their research.
The biggest disadvantage of their existing equipment was that it was not winding the rope properly over the drum. So HUCHEZ was contacted in January 2016 to create a winch both achieving the desired improvements (speed, precise winding/unwinding of the rope) and meeting the specific constraints of this kind of project (considerable rope capacity and use in extreme conditions on a site that is difficult to access).
For all these reasons, it is a tailor-made solution designed and produced in France by the HUCHEZ Engineering Department.
The specific lifting winch of a capacity of 150 kg on the last layer includes protection to ensure a long life (marine paint, stainless steel rope and hook). It is also equipped with a cross-threaded screw. This device makes it possible to guide and wind the rope quickly and effectively on to the drum.
It is driven by a cross-threaded screw (a left-hand and a right-hand spiral, cut and linked at the end) always driven in the same direction, and cross-threaded winding bushing that is automatically reversible whenever the screw reaches its limit switch. The limit switches of the cross-threaded screw and the shape of the cross-threaded bushing are adjusted accurately to ensure perfect guiding all along the screw.
Often called on by French and international companies to provide tailor-made solutions for complex projects in all sectors which, like this application, are far removed from the winches used in industry or civil engineering, the HUCHEZ Engineering team has been involved throughout the project.
Ten weeks were needed to determine the specifications, analyse the technical feasibility of the winch, give advice based on knowledge acquired in similar projects, and design, manufacture, complete and test it before finally providing technical assistance to users on installing it.
Installed on site several weeks ago, the winch is now operating in research missions every day.
Technical specifications: Lifting capacity on last layer (max. load): 150 kg, adjustable speed on last layer: from 61 m/min to 3 m/min, capacity: 400 m of Ø 4 mm stainless steel rope with stainless steel hook, mechanically welded chassis structure and smooth drum, upper and lower limit switch., cable guide using cross-threaded screw, protection with C4 type marine paint, electrical unit including:
- 230 V single-phase winch power supply, 50 Hz/60 Hz.
- Very low voltage control: lifting, lowering, potentiometer and emergency stop.
- Variable speed drive using variable frequency.
- Fully programmable acceleration and deceleration ramp.
- Braking resistance.
- Button activated remote control with flexible 3 m cable.
