In 2014, Merford supplied a cabin to Boskalis for its Manu Pekka dredger. In 2015, a new backhoe dredger will be installed on the ship and Merford was asked to develop an operator cabin for this crane.
This type of crane is normally used in the mining sector. Therefore, a standard cabin was not an option.
Merford produced a cabin that improves the crane’s dredging performance and also equipped the cabin with several useful extras.
Backhoe Dredger
The Manu Pekka is one of the largest backhoes in the world and achieves high excavation accuracy.
This sea workhorse is in fact a pontoon, equipped with three spuds to solidly anchor the ship. At the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, the Manu Pekka was brought into a wharf in Sliedrecht.
The installation of a new crane on the pontoon was the most important work to be done.
Heavy Duty Seat
The roomy operator cabin is custom made and is fitted with various features that make it a unique cabin. For example, the front window has an anti-reflective coating and the front and side windows have windshield wipers.
These have heated spray nozzles designed to spray away any dirt and dust. The operator has a heavy duty seat; an operator seat capable of absorbing major shocks making it especially suitable for the dredging industry.
The seat is electrically controlled and can rotate 45 degrees to either side. It can also be put into a special position making it easy for the operator to get in and out of the seat.