Column racker/synchronized racker

An automated system of arms on a column that can be a fixed rotating (radial pattern) machine or a traveling and rotating machine. Usually consists of a single guide and single gripping hoist arm and has a primary function of tripping the pipe without the intervention of human labor. Various modes and versions exist with additional functionality including additional arms and tools to facilitate stand-building off-line, riser tailing, riser tripping (stands of riser), casing tripping (stands of casing) and integrated Iron Roughnecks. Three fingerboard designs are common, the star fingerboard, where the column is a fixed rotating design and the arms place the pipe in a radial fashion, the X-Y fingerboard which mimics the traditional left-hand, right hand fingerboard with the exception of each stand or a number of stands are locked in place with a remotely controlled finger latch, or a parallel fingerboard where all the fingers point towards well center and the racker travels in front of the set back rotating 180 degrees to present the tubular stand at well center (this system also latches like the X-Y fingerboard. These systems are prevalent on high-spec offshore rigs and floating vessels where the lateral stand loads are too high for typical manual operations by a derrickman.

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