HIGH PERFORMANCE IN FERTILIZER HANDLING- GRAB FOR FERTILIZERS 

For the handling of fertilizers and phosphates, it is important to keep both material loss and pollution at extremely low values, ensuring the efficiency of the grab without causing damage to the environment. For the handling of fertilizers, the Verstegen high-seal model is the best solution.

For very thin and free flowing materials, special sealing systems with overlapping knives can be installed in the fertilizer grab, in order to completely stop the material flow, avoiding waste.

Most fertilizers are relatively light, so they have a fine flow and special attention should be paid to the grab design to minimize material loss and environmental pollution. Verstegen recommends that the grab for fertilizers comply with ecological measures, with tall, closed shells for handling this material, protecting it from the wind and the sudden movements of the crane.

Just like all other Verstegen grabs, the fertilizer grab can also be equipped with a central lubrication system. This system saves time and makes maintenance simpler and safer. This lubrication expands the life of the grabs, as it reduces wear and increases operational safety, preventing the operator from having to climb onto the fertilizer grab to lubricate it.

For fertilizer handling, two types of Verstegen grabs can be used:

• CLAMSHELL GRABS – COMMON BULK MATERIALS

Clamshell grabs are used for normal free-flowing bulk materials such as fertilizers. The company has developed a variety of grabs optimized for common bulk materials. Over the years, Verstegen has created a wide variety of mechanical grabs operated by rope, so the ideal fertilizer grab needs to answer the exact type of product to be unloaded, the appropriate crane and the unloading characteristics.

The purpose of a grab is to handle large volumes of bulk material quickly and efficiently. A good design combined with the use of steel with high resistance to abrasive wear, as well as an excellent bearing system, allows to build extremely strong and robust grabs, with low gross weight and high production capacity.

• SINGLE ROPE GRABS

Specially designed for onboard cranes that have a single steel wire rope hoist, these grabs are normally used when port cranes are not available and shipboard cranes must be used. The only activity required when using the Single Rope grab for fertilizers is to hook the grab onto a crane hook that has sufficient load capacity, so it will be ready to operate.

Most Verstegen Single Rope grabs are provided with a mechanical hook system that ensures the grab closure. To open the grab, this mechanism must be uncoupled. In addition to the fully mechanical grabs with opening system by touch, Verstegen also offers a manual opening system and a remote-controlled opening system.