Kalmar of Sweden has launched what it claims is the world’s first all-electric rubber tyred gantry crane (RTG). The E-One has no hydraulic parts, and is said to offer significant environmental and efficiency benefits.
The new RTG has a ‘low-emission’ diesel engine, and is fitted with electric trolley, wheel turning and spreader, Kalmar says. It adds that, with fewer critical mechanical components than regular RTGs, there is less scope for mechanical failures.
Fuel savings of up to 30% are said to be achieved by ‘new intelligence’ whereby crane speeds (gantry and hoisting) are adjusted according to the load under the spreader. Hydraulics on conventional RTGs run constantly whereas, in the E-One, electrical power is used only when needed. The all-electric anti-sway and load stability control are designed to add to reliability and help the operator to work faster and more accurately, Kalmar claims.
Other claimed features of the E-One include:
4 All-electric wheel turning and gantry drive.
4 The gantry wheels are driven directly without the chain. This is said to lead to less maintenance than conventional chain-driven models.
4 A single hoist drum design ensures safe handling even with eccentric loads and twinlifting, Kalmar says.
4 A PLC-controlled anti-sway system helps the operator lock on to the container, even in windy weather. The stabiliser system is activated by the push of a button, and can be retrofitted to older Kalmar RTGs.
4 The E-One’s joystick-controlled Bromma spreader has a reeved-in design, making it lighter and thus leading to fuel savings, Kalmar says.
