AKD ANNOUNCES PATENT

PATENT Application for a Wind Turbine Transfer Gangway System Patent filing paves the way for the transfer of personnel and materials from a marine vessel to off shore wind turbines and other structures. AKD Engineering in its commitment to continue to deliver market-driven technology solutions announced today that it has successfully filed a patent application with the United Kingdom Patent Office covering a method of transferring personnel and materials to offshore structures primarily wind turbines in adverse weather. This transfer system has been designed entirely in house by AKD utilising their own dynamic in house design personnel and will be manufactured at AKD’s manufacturing facility in Lowestoft. The patent describes a Transfer system comprising of a gangway system configured to carry personnel and/or materials between the marine vessel and the structure, combining a support assembly configured to support the gangway assembly and permit vertical movement with respect to the marine vessel. The transfer system also has a gripping assembly to couple the platform or pile to the transfer system. This application filing represents ongoing efforts by AKD to increase its offering to the energy sector and help to establish relationships between participating companies in the supply of personnel and materials to the offshore wind farm industry. Denise Farr Sales Manager for AKD said: “This filing represents the first step in a more reliable method of transferring personnel and materials to wind farms, potentially saving lives and reducing injuries in this challenging environment".