Consulting Mooring
The future belongs to the FLX Mooring System
Consulting industrial Lift
Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd.
Consulting Superyacht
A great endeavour
Consulting Mooring
The future belongs to the FLX Mooring System - this information apparently also made its way to some of our customers with old ships.
Conventional mooring ropes are considerably heavier to handle, have a high stretch throughout and consequently need to be replaced frequently. Therefore, one of our customers wanted to use the advantages of the FLX system and commissioned us to equip their fleet. The winch manufacturers of the moving fleet had specified a minimum rope diameter of 54 millimetres because of the old facilities. Our X-Twin Plus cover was much too thin for the required break loads of 80 to 110 tonnes and so a new technical solution was required.
Our innovation department developed FlexTwin according to these requirements.
Break load and diameter of the flexible mooring line can be individually customised according to the customer’s specific requirements. The product convinces with its high strength, high-quality cover, and first-class handling.
The buoyant mooring line is now available for all customers.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. - Burnaston, Derbyshire
Toyota stands for the consistent application of the Lean Manufacturing method in all Toyota automobile plants around the world. The tight production schedule requires a high degree of flexibility and frequent tool changes. This is also the case in the pressing plant of Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. in Burnaston, England. The pressing tools, which weigh several tons, sometimes need to be changed within a few hours and multiple times per shift.
In 2012, Toyota contacted the experts at Gleistein to look for solutions to the unsatisfactory situation regarding the wire rope slings used. The wire slings previously used were causing major problems at Toyota Motor (UK) Manufacturing Ltd.:
- Heavy lifting slings that were difficult to handle
- Back problems and injuries among employees
- Slow tool changes
- Extremely short service life of the slings (maximum 3,200 lifting operations corresponding to approx. 2 months of use)
- Resulting high costs
An approx. 12-month joint process followed in which a lifting device, perfectly tailored to the application, was developed. The solution was established in 2013 and has since proven itself every day.
By using Updraft CustomSlings made of DynaOne® HS (with bio-based Dyneema® SK78) several problems were solved. Toyota can now benefit from:
- Lightweight, safe, and easy-to-use lifting equipment with only one seventh of the weight of wire rope slings
- No health impairments whatsoever for employees. Instead of 2 employees, a single employee can change the pressing tools
- Faster tool changes
- 7 x longer service life of the lifting equipment - 22,000 lifting operations (= approx. 14 months service life)
The use of the made-to-fit Updraft CustomSlings ensures serious cost savings with increased safety and productivity at Toyota.
By using the Updraft CustomSling precisely tailored to their needs, Toyota achieves serious cost savings, while increasing safety and productivity. In the meantime, numerous other manufacturing plants of Toyota have implemented these advanced lifting tools in their pressing plants.
A great endeavour
The 40 m sailing yacht "Endeavour" is one of the legendary J-Class yachts. She was built for the America's Cup regattas in 1934 as the British challenger.
She lost the America's Cup only very narrowly and controversially (quote from that time "Britannia rules the waves and America waives the rules") against the American J-Class yacht Rainbow. She had a chequered history in the years that followed until she was lavishly restored from 1984 to 1988 by the American Elizabeth Meyer at Gleistein's long-time partner Royal Huisman in Volenhove, Holland. The space limitations of the hull presented the shipyard with great challenges at the time, as there was simply too little room below deck for the desired comfort provided by all the conveniences of the new age.
At that time, the first ropes were made of HMPE - high-modulus polyethylene, also known by the trade names Dyneema® or Spectra®, with wire rope-like strengths at the same diameter, albeit 85% lighter. Gleistein was one of the first fibre rope manufacturers in the world to be able to produce such ropes in the large diameters required by the almost 50 m high mast.
Together with the Huisman design team, our then managing director Helmut Paul investigated the potential weight savings by converting the running rigging from wire to fibre ropes. It was quickly discovered that so much weight could be saved in the tallest single mast at the time, that significantly less lead load had to be placed in the keel to ensure the same righting moment. The resulting additional space made it possible to install an efficient seawater desalination system and meet the owner's comfort requirements.
This first major project for the rigging of a superyacht was the initial spark for Gleistein and the entire industry in establishing new high-performance fibres in the current crop of demanding superyacht projects. The use of Dyneema® has now completely become commonplace on many cruising yachts and all racing yachts – despite the fact that ropes with HMPE are more expensive than the wire ropes that were common at the time. The superior handling, reduced leaning when sailing and overcoming spatial limitations bring tangible benefits are definitely worth the extra cost. We at Gleistein are proud to have been involved in the creation of this technical revolution.
NFC Chip
The integrated NFC chip can be scanned with any modern smartphone – no matter if Android or iPhone. It stores product specifications, application tips and quick links to certificates, website content and important contacts.
Mooring Rope Manual and Pocket Guide
The comprehensive Mooring Rope Manual contains everything you need to know about installing ropes, their proper use, assessing their condition and making repairs. And the durable Pocket Guide is a practical tool for assessing our ropes and is readily at hand wherever you are
Wear zone managment
Gleistein offers several solutions to protect mooring systems from damage.
