TII Scheuerle celebrates 40 years of SPMT

Mammoet moving a 14,300 tonne oil platform on self propelled modular transporter (SPMT). Photo: TII Scheuerle

Manufacturer TII Scheuerle in Germany is holding celebrations and events to mark 40 years of self propelled modular transporter, the ubiquitous SPMT.

In 1983 Scheuerle Fahrzeugfabrik developed and launched the technology that continues to shape the heavy transport industry worldwide. One of its timeless qualities is that it has theoretically unlimited payload.

Tens of thousands of axle lines of Scheuerle SPMT are now in use around the world.

Where it all began: the birth of SPMT

The idea for the modular platform transporter with a container width of 2,430 millimetres was born from the needs of long-time customer Mammoet, by far the world’s largest heavy transport and lifting specialist. Willy Scheuerle invented the hydraulically suspended oscillating axle in 1956 followed by the electronic multidirectional steering later used on these heavy transporters, in 1972.

As a modular system multiple different modules can be combined to carry everything from refinery vessels to luxury yachts and oil platforms weighing many thousands of tonnes. Instead of being limited to loads around 300 tonnes, objects weighing thousands of tonnes could be moved.

A recent record, set by Mammoet, was to move a 20,300 tonne load.

Sinotrans Heavy-Lift moving a 7,500 tonne hotel in China on 254 axle lines of SPMT driven from 15 power pack units (PPU)