Gliding support

During maintenance work at an ExxonMobil refinery, 36 pipes, each 32 meters long, needed to be replaced. Aertssen was responsible for transporting these pipes and provided two mobile cranes for this purpose. Caden's task was to engineer a gliding support for these pipes.

To accommodate pipes of different diameters in the furnace, the solution was to build an adjustable frame to ensure extra safety. An additional challenge was that the operators had no visual contact with the work and were directed via radios. This was a critical aspect during the development of this tool.

The engineering process began with a 3D scan of the site at ExxonMobil, which was then modeled in 3D. Once the site was mapped out, the engineering of the frame could begin. Based on Caden’s drawings, the tool was produced.

Thanks to a strong network and reliable suppliers, the time from finished drawings to the completed tool was only 21 days.