Ropeway operators must be prepared for exceptional situations

Good planning, a flawless rescue concept, professionally trained personnel, high-quality equipment and well thought-out organization are the key to the success of a smooth rescue.

Sometimes the recovery plan for cable cars becomes even more challenging. Especially when it comes to planning trips over longer rope fields or even uphill. In these cases, the ropeway staff must also be able to bring passengers safely to a suitable abseiling point. It is therefore crucial that ropeway operators have the necessary resources to act effectively and safely in any situation.

The self-propelled rope-propelled devices are designed to enable people to move along the stranded ropes of ropeways and industrial installations – without a restraining rope, second person or additional safety equipment. This creates more autonomy and faster, more flexible movement on the rope. Immoos focuses on safety, easy handling and low weight.

These requirements gave rise to the demand for a powerful yet handy and portable drive for the rope access device. How can we meet this demand and provide operators with the reliable equipment they need?

Movement on wire ropes in ropeways and industrial installations does not differ significantly in principle from conventional travel drives. The driving resistances can be determined on the basis of the specified load profiles and reference measurements. When designing the drive, care is taken to ensure that the continuous and peak loads are achieved accordingly and that the drive operates in an efficient range.

In order to achieve a good power-to-weight ratio and low system complexity, a 48V system (low voltage) was chosen for this drive. The motor has a rated output of 1.25 kW and a peak output of 3.3 kW. The 48V Li-Ion battery has a capacity of 1.6kWh. With this system configuration, we can guarantee an operating time of more than one hour of pure driving time even with demanding use and rule out an overtemperature shutdown when the battery load is below 1C.

For better handling and weight distribution, the drive and battery are separate systems. The drive unit comprises the electric motor, the planetary gearbox, the controller, as well as the operating elements and the mechanical interface to the rope access device. The battery only includes the power supply and the main fuse. It is stowed in a rucksack and can be conveniently attached to the bottom of the rope access device when in use.

With the electric drive, the rescuer with a user weight of 125 kg can now manage inclines of up to 60 percent (~31°). The drive also facilitates the transportation of passengers: With one passenger, rope fields up to a gradient of 30 percent (~16°) are possible, with two passengers up to 20 percent (~11°). The electric drive has one forward and one reverse gear.

The rope access equipment can be used in a variety of ways: for moving safely between two points, for moving passengers along the rope or for the remote-controlled transportation of equipment, materials and ropes.

The EDS remote control can be used to move an IMMOOS self-propelled rope access device unmanned along a wire rope over a distance of up to 700m. This is particularly important in industrial applications for the transportation of equipment, materials and ropes. The direction of travel and two individually adjustable speeds can be selected.

Immoos offers you a wide range of products for ropeway rescue, personal protective equipment and fixed personal fall protection. Whether you need a rope driving device, a descender or ascender, a rope winch, a fall-arrest device, a harness or abseiling harness, a carabiner, a rope, a rope clamp or a pulley or an accessory, you will find the right product for your requirements at Immoos.

Immoos also offers you a range of services to help you realize your ropeway projects safely and efficiently. This includes education and training, expert testing, development of special solutions, recovery plans and recovery concepts and recovery optimization. With Immoos, you can rely on expert advice and support.