ALE’s r&d team celebrates 10 years

International heavy lift and transport specialist ALE's in-house research and development (r&d) team celebrated its first decade in business in December 2016.

Based in Breda, Netherlands, the facility was set up in 2006 with the intention to maintain, review and improve equipment and systems, work with clients to develop bespoke solutions for projects, and anticipate the industry needs and challenges of the future.

It is now the home of the Innovation Series. This includes the Mega Jack and Mega Jack 800 systems, what the company claims as the world’s largest land based cranes – the AL.SK190 and AL.SK350 – as well as the Hydro Deck and gantry system.

More recently, the department launched a new lightweight service crane.

The team also developed current systems to be more accurate, further mitigate risk and be more time- and cost-effective. The skidding and winch systems were introduced to improve speed and precision, and the team are working on new lifting tools, test frames, a new girder frame and route survey tool to enhance lifting and transportation projects.

Cees Segeren, ALE technical advisor and founder of the r&d team, said, “ALE are not only reactive and adaptive to client requests and sector changes, but also proactive. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do.

“We are currently working on many projects. Conceptualising our initial ideas and seeing them become a reality is one of the most rewarding aspects of being part of this department. It is an exciting time to be working in the heavy lifting industry as it is constantly evolving and developing. I’m very proud of the team and how much we have, and will continue, to achieve.”