ABB technology for fully electric travel lifts for the nautical sector
With the electric travel lift, costs are cut by 40%.
ABB, together with the Cuneo-based Boat Lift company, has developed the first fully electric travel lift application for the nautical industry, leveraging its expertise in inverters and its know-how in asynchronous motor control.
The new all-electric solution for lifting boats and vessels thanks to ABB technologies cuts costs by 40%, covers a day's work on a single battery charge and offers optimal acoustic comfort.
Furthermore, Boat Lift – the large industrial group informs – has also joined ABB's Energy Efficiency Movement, an initiative launched in 2021 to engage entrepreneurs, customers, suppliers, institutions, universities, and civil society in the promotion and implementation of energy efficiency.
Boat Lift has been active in the boat lifting systems sector since 2006, designing and manufacturing systems specifically for this purpose. Over the years, the company has achieved a turnover of €20 million, 70% of which comes from exports.
Travel Lift is the name of the lifting product whose electric version represents the latest innovation. It stems not so much from market demand, but from a greener vision that has led Boat Lift to embark on a journey toward sustainability—but also efficiency and ease of use—thus making a significant leap forward compared to the diesel engine that typically powers a hydraulic lifting system.
"Ours is certainly a niche sector, but it's important that everyone does their part," explains Matteo Scarafiotti, marketing manager at Boat Lift. "That's why we decided to develop an all-electric application and rely on the expertise of a partner like ABB, which also introduced us to the Energy Efficiency Movement, which we enthusiastically joined. We're focusing primarily on our own energy efficiency, using a photovoltaic system capable of meeting a large portion of our energy needs. But we're also committed to the machinery we produce: for several years now, we've been using biodegradable oils for our hydraulic circuits. But more can, and must, be done."
The electric Travel Lift is simple: it's a system composed essentially of lithium batteries, low-voltage motors and inverters (ABB ACS380 and ACS880 series), and a PLC that controls the movements, the true heart of the system. But, like all seemingly simple things, it poses technological challenges.
Just like an electric car, the Travel Lift also has a battery and guarantees a certain range. The greater its overall efficiency, the more lifts it will be able to perform on a single charge, with the goal of getting through the workday on a single charge.
"Being the first application of this kind in the marine industry, we started with a blank sheet of paper," Scarafiotti continues. "An advantage, certainly, but we were literally navigating a sea of possibilities. That's why we developed the application together with ABB right from the design stage: we had very clear ideas about the objectives we wanted to achieve, while ABB brought its expertise in inverters and its know-how in asynchronous motor control. I can assure you that there are few companies with which you can delve so deeply into the technical aspects to develop a new product, and the results have been absolutely excellent."
For Travel Lift, ABB's supply includes motors and drives (ACS380 and ACS880 series), electromechanical components and installation material.
Furthermore, the electric lift—the press release states—in addition to the advantages of efficiency and energy savings, also offers significantly reduced performance and costs. Specifically, the electric lift is unrivaled because it uses far fewer components than a traditional machine and eliminates the costly periodic maintenance of the hydraulic system (which is absent in this case). Regarding efficiency and ease of use, the numbers show that the impact of an electric lift is significantly lower than a similar traditional diesel-powered model. Regarding fuel consumption—reduced by a net 40% according to Boat Lift—using 100% battery power every day, six days a week, results in a saving of 2.600 liters of diesel fuel, the CO2 emissions of which would require the work of 114 trees for 10 years, or alternatively, a 33-hectare forest for at least a week.
"There are also indirect benefits," Scarafiotti continues. "These lifts are generally used in environments highly sensitive to air and noise pollution. The offer of a fully electric device has a significant impact on both factors. They often operate in busy coastal areas, and quiet operation is an increasingly popular requirement. We ourselves were positively impressed during initial in-house tests. Even the first customer who received it and used it alongside traditional machines immediately noticed the difference."
Boat Lift's technology is primarily dedicated to the nautical world, but is already attracting interest in industrial logistics, which is why the company has decided to diversify its business through a subsidiary called Industrial Lift, which offers the same expertise wherever manufactured goods, semi-finished products, etc. need to be moved.
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