Volga-Dnepr Airlines has transported a 59 tonne compressor from Zurich to Singapore for an oil rig, which required the Engineering & Logistics Centre (ELC) to design a unique transportation frame to move it.
The engineers designed the frame to spread the weight of the compressor throughout the cargo cabin of the Antonov AN-124-100 and protect the overhanging high voltage box. The frame was manufactured in the UK and incorporated a detachable supporting arm to ensure it could be transported to Switzerland by road.
The flight to Singapore was operated by Ruslan International and contracted by Pentagon Freight Services.
Pentagon Freight Services project operations supervisor, Gary Provins says: “The shipment wasn’t without its challenges. The main compressor wasn’t designed to travel separately from its transport skid, which due to build schedules had to be detached and shipped separately a few weeks in advance.”
“This meant finding a solution for loading, securing, and load spreading, which was achieved, while at the same time providing support for the critical and highly delicate HV Box section of the compressor.”
