Cable carriers and scheduled maintenance for the Oranjesluizen in Amsterdam

The Oranjesluizen in Amsterdam are a busy lock complex where ships pass through every day. The lock gates move with every lockage, and the cables for the drive, control and safety systems have to follow that movement flawlessly every time. If the cable guidance fails, the lock comes to a standstill, with consequences for shipping and the traffic around it.

Here, the cable carriers run over a long travel length, in a steel channel along the gate, with several carriers side by side and a large cable package. An installation like this runs for years. So the task was not only to supply the right carriers, but also to keep them in good condition: spotting wear in time and fixing small faults before they become a breakdown.

We started with engineering: the travel of the gate, the space along the gate and the cables that need to move with it. Based on that, we supplied cable carriers from Tsubaki Kabelschlepp that run in a guide channel over the long travel length, with a layout that gives every cable its own place. At the fixed end, the cables are relieved with clamps, so the forces of the movement do not reach the connections.

After that, we stayed involved with scheduled maintenance and inspection. Every year we visit and systematically check the installation: the links and connections of the carrier, the guidance in the channel, the cables in the carrier and the strain relief at the ends. Whatever we find, we record and resolve, or we schedule it for the next maintenance visit.

The lock gates of the Oranjesluizen run on cable carriers that we designed and supplied ourselves, and that we check ourselves every year. Because the same party has known the installation since the design stage, deviations are recognised quickly and maintenance can be planned rather than carried out after a breakdown.

Do you have a lock, bridge or machine with cable carriers that have been running for years? See what scheduled maintenance and inspection can do for you, or get in touch with one of our specialists.