“Moppel” (“Dumpy”) is the affectionate nickname for the Berlin-made heavy-duty rollers used by SCHOLPP, particularly for large-scale installation and machinery transport projects. The special feature of these units is that they can be used for 360-degree rotation during transport.

It is amazing how much weight even compact trolleys can carry and move. Heavy-duty Moppel trolleys are a special type of transport roller, created in-house by the SCHOLPP team in Berlin, that can perform all these tasks, and they have a long tradition. In use for more than a century, they are particularly popular for transport and removal projects that involve moving heavy weights from point A to point B.

Two fitters move five metric tons between them

After reunification, the concept of these transport rollers was initially adapted for use in the installation and transport of lightweight objects. Over time, SCHOLPP adopted the advantages and continued to refine them. Today, these heavy-duty rollers are perfect for transporting heavy machinery or escalators. “Heavy-duty rollers are extremely flexible in use. They have 360-degree rotation, which allows them to change direction depending on the situation,” explained Eike Zellin, branch manager at SCHOLPP in Berlin. “What’s more, this means they can travel in circles and around bends, and can even be used for heavy loads. If they had to, two employees could use them to move five metric tons between them.”

Stronger than steel

Heavy-duty “Moppel” rollers have been manufactured in-house at the SCHOLPP site in Berlin since 2011. “We build up to 100 units a year. More than 450 are currently rolling across SCHOLPP construction sites throughout Germany–there are even some in use in Shanghai and Malaysia,” said the branch manager. Heavy-duty Moppels come in different sizes and have between four and ten rollers. The rollers have form- and force-fitting connections to a specialist wooden structure, ensuring a robust load-bearing capacity. According to Eike Zellin, the advantages are obvious: “Unlike a steel plate, which would deform with multiple use, the wooden structure has the flexibility to absorb the load. Moppels also have a lower dead weight and are therefore much easier to handle.”

A question of weight

Heavy-duty Moppels are used for a wide range of applications in numerous sectors. Versions shrink wrapped in plastic can even be used in cleanrooms. Which heavy-duty Moppel is chosen for a given project depends on the weight of the load that needs to be transported. SCHOLPP commissioned the Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (BAM) to perform a load test. The result: One roller can transport a maximum of 700 kilograms. Since two heavy-duty Moppels with at least four rollers are always used, at least 5.6 metric tons can be moved as standard. They can handle a maximum of 14 metric tons–quite astonishing given the small size of the chassis.

These figures are backed up by practical experience. One project that SCHOLPP handled was moving a 7.5-metric-ton, twelve-meter-long vessel for a sprinkler system into a narrow underground car park. Bringing four escalators into a Berlin shopping center was similarly tricky, as each weighed seven metric tons and measured 13 meters in length. “A truck-mounted crane lowered the load onto the two heavy-duty Moppels, which were then maneuvered through a maze of columns to the right place,” explained Eike Zellin. Many more SCHOLPP projects in the future will benefit from the strengths of the transport vehicle–outstanding maneuverability and exceptional load-bearing capacity.