Dillon Devices Used for British Antarctic Survey

Dillon has supplied the British Antarctic Survey with tension measuring devices for the last six years, helping to ensure that important exploration work in these extreme conditions is conducted safely and accurately.

Most recently, we provided AP Dynamometers for a high profile project based at the Halley VI Research Station in Antarctica.

Operational since 2012, Halley VI is a series of eight interlinked pods, capable of withstanding extreme weather. The modules contain laboratories, offices, observation platforms, generators and communal areas for the scientists who work and live there.

Built on skis, the pods can be towed across the ice by specialist heavy vehicles. Being able to move the research station is vital because of its location: the Brunt Ice Shelf, which is constantly moving towards the Weddell Sea.

The Dynamometer was used to securely move the station, which is being gradually moved to a new, safer location over the course of 2016-17, due to a widening crack in the ice shelf.

The red module pictured weighs 220 tonnes. The modules are fitted with hydraulic legs that can be raised to ensure that the station is not buried under annual snowfall.

With just 12 tonnes of force displayed on the AP Dynamometer split between the two pulling rigs, the team was able to move the module with minimal effort.

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