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What unites Total Hydraulics with KTR? Total’s co-owner and engineer, Jelmer Hartenberg, puts it in a nutshell; "KTR couplings always fit well and don't break down." His company specialises in manufacturing hydraulic and pneumatic installations as well as components and drives. Their clientele include manufacturing and offshore industries, agricultural machinery producers and government agencies. The above film shows you how KTR’s indestructible couplings, although small cogs in the gears, nevertheless play an important part in keeping large conveyor systems running.
Twice as good – the hydraulic combined cooler
Proper cooling is needed to make sure nothing gets too hot during periods of intense activity – especially when using diesel generator sets for mobile applications. As Hartenberg explains "In the past we used to employ a diesel engine cooler for motor cooling and a separate oil cooler for the hydraulic circuit. When the motor was running, its fan was permanently in operation while the oil cooler was regulated according to the oil temperature. That meant we needed two coolers for one generator set." This neither looked appropriate nor was it desirable from a technical point of view. As a result, Total Hydraulics got together with KTR to kill two birds with one stone – or to be more precise – to cool two genset components with one cooler. The solution was a customised KTR MMC combined cooler. "The cooler requires approximately 5 kW to power it. As long as the diesel generator set and hydraulic oil remain cool, the fan stays switched off. An additional fuel saving results from the fact that it only switches on when required. In other words, we use a hydraulically operated combined cooler that performs two operations in one. It’s perfect!" The diesel generator set itself drives a mobile conveyor belt for loading and unloading bulk material on or off ships. And it is housed in a classical sea container that has been converted into a machine room.
Always there – KTR to the rescue outside working hours
Jelmer Hartenberg also remembers another ‘combi number’ which had little to do with cooling generator sets, but more with keeping a cool head when everything else was becoming unmanageable. "It was a Friday noon, just before the weekend ... A ship owner from Den Helder gave us a call ... asking if we had a hydraulic motor in stock for a bow thruster. The ship had to put to sea at three o'clock! ... We neither stocked such a specialized motor nor was one to be found anywhere in the Netherlands at such short notice. We were really in dire straits!"
Hartenberg told the ship owner he would come and view the damage on site. It quickly became apparent that the engine was beyond repair. In the meantime a mechanic from Rolls-Royce – the manufacturer of the ship's propeller – had arrived in Den Helder. Fortunately he had a used motor available, though the bad news was that it had different shaft distances, meaning that the old coupling could no longer be employed. Hartenberg remembers "I called a KTR colleague on his mobile outside working hours and described the problem. He managed to find a branch which was still open due to a company party. And they had exactly the right coupling in stock." To cut a long story short, at 1 am the next morning the previously incapacitated cargo ship – an offshore platform supply vessel – was able to leave dock. "Having such a ship in the harbour can easily cost a carrier more than €65,000 a day. Thanks to KTR and some good luck, we were able to refloat the vessel in no time at all." Hartenberg continues "That's how it is with KTR. In times of distress they can be relied on to help out."
And that’s the way it will stay!