Alstom takes delivery of Nicolas transporter

Power generation and transport company Alstom has taken delivery of two self propelled MHD G2 transporters from specialized vehicle manufacturer Nicolas, a subsidiary of the TII Group.

The MHD G2 transporters are fitted with hybrid drives and will be used in the company´s new plant in St Nazaire, which manufactures nacelles for the wind power industry, a spokesperson said. The transporters will be used to transport turbine components, including complete nacelles. They are operator free and are fitted with an optical guidance system, which reads lines and codes set into the floor to move about the factory. These lines and codes are automatically detected by a camera which is mounted under the vehicle. For it to work correctly, a monitoring system fitted with distance measurement sensors permanently regulates the height of the camera, the manufacturer explained.

Sebastien Porteu, Nicolas Industrie managing director, said, “With this vehicle, we have once again shown that we are pioneers in special vehicle construction. It combines a range of innovative detailed solutions and makes operations at Alstom not only more efficient but also a lot safer.

“The firm integration of the vehicle into the production process provided Alstom with the possibility of getting the most out of the available production space during the design and set up of the manufacturing processes. From the outset, we were available in an advisory capacity and have consequently developed the ideal transportation solution.”

The vehicles are driven by a hybrid system, which includes a diesel engine for outside use and and electric drive system for work in enclosed areas.