Caldwell, Certex Build Lifting System to Support U.S. Navy Drone Development
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November 18, 2015 - The Caldwell Group, Rockford, Ill., partnered with Certex Lifting Products Houston to engineer and manufacture a lifting system to support the U.S. Navy’s Triton MQ-4C Drone development. The system was used in the NAS Patuxent River Anechoic Chamber during two months of specialized testing.
Lifting system developed by Caldwell
and Certex
Certex was awarded the project in late 2014 and immediately partnered with Caldwell because of the recently released, patent pending Dura-Lite composite lifting and spreader beam product line. Using composite materials in below-the-hook lifting devices provide a lightweight, non-conductive, and non-corrosive product. The testing in the Anechoic Chamber required a material that did not interfere with the electromagnetic testing, and the Dura-Lite products made for an ideal solution.
Caldwell manufactured the main lifting beam, spreader beams, and wing cradles. Certex provided shackles and manufactured the slings for the lifting system. All sub-assemblies were tested at Caldwell’s new 84,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility and then shipped to Patuxent River for use.
Caldwell personnel were on site in August 2015 for the system installation and initial testing. “It was very exciting to be on site for the initial lift and an honor to support the U.S. Navy in this project” said Dan Mongan, product development specialist and lead designer of the Dura-Lite product line.
