Lifting revolution for large container ships

A NEW concept in unloading ultra large container ships has been produced in the Netherlands that will enable the next generation of vessels to be unloaded more quickly than is possible with existing quay cranes.

Evert Luttekes of the Delft University of Technology explains that with the new design the vertical lift of containers remains a function built into a semi-static trolley over the ship and a second trolley above the quay. Transport of containers between ship and quay is performed by a circular system using carriers, running on rail tracks built into the crane on two levels. The capacity of this horizontal transport system will be sufficient to match the cycle times of the hoists, he says. The result will be a three- or fourfold increase in crane capacity.

Full details of this new dockside crane concept will be explained by Luttekes at the World Class Crane Management Seminar, being held in Amsterdam 27-29 May.
For further details of the seminar, contact Julie Rossiter at Wilmington Publishing (tel +44 208 269 7823, email jrossiter@wilmington.co.uk)