Pipe Coil Technology (PCT), based in Newcastle, has won the contract to manufacture the world’s largest wire rope take-up stand for Bridon International.

The stand, with a lift capacity of 650 tons, is one of two the PCT will supply for Bridon which is building a facility on Tyneside to manufacture some of the largest and most complex ropes in the world.

When the rope is manufactured, it is coiled onto a huge spool and the stand-in effect lifts the spool onto a low loader or dockside.

The stand design allows full drums to be loaded and unloaded either directly from the factory floor or from a transport trailer without the need for an overhead crane.

Bridon’s Colin Pratt said: “We awarded this contract after a rigorous six-month tender process, during which PCT clearly demonstrated that their unique and innovative machine solution would meet Bridon’s operational requirements.”

PCT designs and supplies coiling and packaging solutions for flexible products such as plastic pipe, sub-sea umbilical and power cables, flow-lines and steel wire ropes.