Shiplift DryDocks World Dubai

This vessel, the Zamil 2 entered dock at 08:10 this morning and was parked high and dry alongside the Retriever 50 minutes later. How did they do this?
It is because a shiplift with a smart rail and lorrie system is used instead of a floating dock. The Zamil 2 entered the ship-lift, where a platform holding a metal transport carriage on rails lies in wait below the surface of the water. Then, at the push of a button in the control tower, the servo motors spring quietly into action, a warning horn sounds, and 14 winches slowly lift the steel frame, carriage, and ship out of the water at a speed of 30 centimeters a minute.

Each winch is designed to handle a maximum weight of 375 metric tons; the system is equipped with two brakes ? one in the motor, the other directly on the winch ? for safety purposes. The drives are controlled by a cleverly-designed control system, the maximum difference between the two winches is less than a tenth of a millimeter. This precision is important because it stops the ships from slipping. After the ship is lifted out of the water, a large shovel pulls the lorrie with the ship on top over the rail system to her place on the awful big ships parking place. At least twenty vessels are parked here for dry-dock and maintenance activities. Needless to say that all this was designed and built by a Dutch company.

Want to see a nice animation of the shiplift? click on this Link then