APM Terminals orders 28 cranes
APM Terminals Rotterdam Maasvlakte II has selected 26 Automated Rail Mounted Gantry (ARMG) Cranes and two Rail Cranes from the Austrian crane manufacturer Kuenz. For both crane types, Kuenz will use ABB as the supplier for the electrical and automation system. The terminal will be opened November 2014.
System
The ARMGs will use a fully automated system to safely load/unload a container on a truck chassis. Truck drivers will park their truck in a designated spot, exit their cab and wait in a secure area away from the autoloading/ unloading process. The ARMGs operate using a terminal operating system and equipment control system. They will lift and stow the containers delivered from the Lift Automated Guided Vehicles that shuttle containers to and from the berth and rail terminal. Of interest, at night or when the terminal is quiet, the system features a "housekeeping" capability that restows/restacks containers in the best spot for early morning truck appointments or for easy access for the next vessel loadplan. This feature of automated yard optimization of the stack during quiet times allows for better efficiency at peak times.
The ARMGs will use a fully automated system to safely load/unload a container on a truck chassis. Truck drivers will park their truck in a designated spot, exit their cab and wait in a secure area away from the autoloading/ unloading process. The ARMGs operate using a terminal operating system and equipment control system. They will lift and stow the containers delivered from the Lift Automated Guided Vehicles that shuttle containers to and from the berth and rail terminal. Of interest, at night or when the terminal is quiet, the system features a "housekeeping" capability that restows/restacks containers in the best spot for early morning truck appointments or for easy access for the next vessel loadplan. This feature of automated yard optimization of the stack during quiet times allows for better efficiency at peak times.
Intermodal-wise, APM Terminals Maasvlakte II will feature an on dock rail terminal with eight tracks to serve the high volume intermodal cargo to the European hinterland. To deliver the highest efficiency, two Kuenz rail cranes will be used to load and unload trains. The cranes are wide to span eight tracks. The rail cranes will be operated manually by a driver in a cabin but a large part of the activity runs in automated mode.
The rail cranes are configured for more automation at a later stage.
Source: APMT, 11-06-2012