Kalmar Industries, the leading manufacturer of mobile container handling equipment for intermodal ports and terminals, is fully focused on developing new and improved container handling solutions for the intermodal industry.
Kalmar manufactures a wide range of equipment suitable for intermodal applications including: rail-mounted gantry cranes (RMGs), rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs),ContChamp and ContMaster reachstackers, fork lift trucks and terminal tractors.
Over the last twelve months, numerous developments have been made to Kalmar's intermodal product range.Such developments include:
The introduction of remote monitoring interface (RMI) on Kalmar RTGs - a system which enables the operation of a large number of machines to be monitored remotely by a single operator in the terminal control room.
The TRX-252 terminal tractor benefits from a new variable displacement hydraulic system making it the most technologically advanced in use.
The Kalmar ContChamp Intermodal has been refined.Its computer features have been enhanced meaning that there is now more scope to control service and maintenance through the on-board computer.
Kalmar's heavy fork lift truck has been overhauled.The focus has been on improving functionality.The new truck now boasts an extended gantry (ideal for railcar handling), an integrated spreader for top picking containers, and a newly improved low emission Tier two engine.
RTGs and RMGs
Kalmar's RTG concept, featuring the patented Smartrail autosteering and container verification system, has proved to be an extremely popular machine with container and trailer handling rail terminal operators.In addition, Kalmar RMGs have won favour withthose terminal operators demanding high gantry travelling speeds and/or a higher degree of automation.
The addition of Remote Monitoring Interface (RMI) on Kalmar RTGs has been welcomed by terminal operators world-wide.The system, which enables the operation of a large number of machines to be monitored remotely by a single operator in the terminal control room and / or via the internet by Kalmar's design department (should the customer require real time support and assistance direct from the factory),adds yet another building block to Kalmar's existing suite of terminal automation tools.The new system will soon be in operation with Global Terminal and Container Service Inc in New Jersey where eight new Kalmar RTGs are now in operation.
Other significant orders placed / fulfilled in2001 for Kalmar RTGs and RMGs include:
French operator Novatrans had its order for two RTGs fulfilled.Being used in its Bayonne terminal, near the Spanish border, to transfer containers from Spanish trains to French ones (and vice versa), the 1-over-3 high and 4+1 wide machines were taken into service in August 2001.Customised to enable them to handle both containers and trailers, the machines are fully equipped with piggy-back legs.
Delivered in August 2000, the RTG in operation at Belgium's Dry Port de Charleroi's rail terminal was tailor-made to meet the exact specifications of the customer.The crane features a Kalmar spreader and piggy-back legs that enable it to handle both containers and trailers.
Six Kalmar RTGs are now in operation at Europe's biggest intermodal terminal, the Belgian National Railway's main hub in Antwerp.The terminal handles one million TEU annually.
An advanced 1-over-5 high and 7+1 wide RTG for a wagon / truck interchange is now in operation at the Athus intermodal terminal in Belgium.Having been adapted to cope with the special requirements of the terminal- the facility differs from the standard practice in that the marshalling tracks are formed on a slight curve - the RTG includes a modified version of Kalmar's patented autosteering system that has been programmed to deal with curved gantry travel.
Two Kalmar RMGs were recently put into operation at the Port of Felixstowe in the UK.In addition, four machines are currently in operation in Rotterdam's rail service centre, and two further machines are in use at ECT's rail terminal west.
Kalmar recently received an order for 12 automated stacking cranes (ASCs) for ECT-Delta in Rotterdam.Four of these are to be supplied this year, with the remaining eight being delivered in 2002.
The Kalmar RTG range is extremely versatile.Available in three different spans encompassing five, six or seven container rows plus a truck access lane, RTGs are able to stack either 1+3, 1+4 or 1+5 high.This enables ports and terminals to make more effective use of available space as they are given the option of stacking container rows higher.
One terminal to use its RTGs in this manner is Jacksonville Port Authority in the US. Since the delivery of two 1-over-4 high and 7+1 wide RTGs in 1999, Jaxport has been able to increase rail handling capacity by 50%.The machines, which are fully equipped with slave trailer handling units and twin spreaders enabling the RTGs to handle two 20ft containers simultaneously, are predominately used to handle containers and trailers in Jaxport's renovated rail area.
Terminal tractors
Kalmar manufacturers a variety of different terminal tractors designed to meet the varying requirements of its customer base. Most recently, the TRX-252 terminal tractor has been given an overhaul.
The machine now benefits from a new variable displacement hydraulic system which Kalmar believes to be the most technologically advanced in use.Because the engine is only loaded when necessary, more power is available for machine operation and excessive oil recycling is no longer a problem.This effectively reduces the build up of heat and also saves on fuel.Furthermore, the volume-controlled hydraulics ensure that lifting and lowering work can be completed faster, an important consideration when working with such heavy cargo units.
TRX-252 units are also being sold by Kalmar as tug units for multi-trailer systems (MTS)and can be supplied in different forms, either dedicated for MTS operations or still retaining the ability to work as ro-ro tractors with an elevating fifth wheel.
Recent orders for the TRX-252 terminal tractor include:
Sea-Ro Terminal NV, a major ro-ro terminal operator in the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium, has ordered two new Kalmar TRX-252 terminal tractors.The largest and most powerful terminal tractors in Kalmar's product range, these units are to be used to move 95-tonnes StoraEnso cargo units in the port.
Reachstackers
Kalmar reachstackers are renowned for their reliability, quality and operator comfort.Both the ContMaster and the ContChamp are available in combi and Intermodal versions.Proving extremely popular with terminal operators, Kalmar's ContChamp (which is available in 16 basic models) can be adapted for almost any handling application including barge handling.
Tailor made for each individual customer, the ContChamp is the ideal product for operators that are looking for overall economy. The intermodal version of the ContChamp typically comes with a combi-spreader for handling both trailers and containers and can be specified with stabilisers or jacks enabling it to handle heavy boxes even when reaching over one rail track to a second track.
In addition, the intermodal version has a top lift capability.The machine is ideal for use in inland terminals where there is a need to move containers and trailers from rail and waterways to road and vice versa.
Recent orders for the ContChamp Intermodal include:
German motor manufacturer Audi recently purchased one Kalmar ContChamp for its Neckarsulm factory.The machine is used to transfer component parts, which arrive in containers or on trailers via rail using the factory's private siding, from the wagons and onto tractors which then transport the goods to the required location within the plant.
Infraserve GmbH, the recently established logistical arm of Aventis, has taken delivery of a Kalmar ContChamp.The machine is being used to assist with operational handling at Infraserve's intermodal terminal in Cologne.
Austrian Railways (ÖBB) signed a contract with Kalmar Industries, valid for 4+1 years, whereby ÖBB plans to purchase between five and ten ContChamp reachstackers over the next few years. The precise specifications of the reachstackers to be ordered will be decided on a case by case basis to suit individual terminal requirements.Kalmar expects 6m, 7m and 8m wheelbase machines to be required, fitted with spreaders for handling containers, swapbodies and trailers.
Delivered in January 2001, Kalmar ContMasters, featuring piggyback trailer legs, are being used in Novatrans' terminals in Le Havre and Avignon.
Two DRD450-89CE ContChamp reachstackers have been ordered by International Transport Service Inc in Long Beach, California.These machines, which are to be used to load containers onto railcars for shipment to the Mid-West and eastern US destinations, are due to be delivered in January 2002.
The Port of Lille has ordered two 8m ContChamp reachstackers. The machines,which are due to be delivered in April 2002, will be used for barge handling in the Port of Lille and its Halluin terminal near the Belgium border.Both ContChamps have been designed to be able to pick containers from negative points.Both have a handling capacity of 25 tonnes.
Full Container Lift Truck
Having benefited from numerous developments made over the last twelve months, the full container lift truckis now one of the most technically advanced and functional pieces of machinery on the market.
The lift truck is equipped with an integrated top-lift spreader and a powered pile slope function. This means thatthe spreader is able to adjust for picking up and putting down containers that are akwardly stacked or sloping due to ground conditions or the angle on the trailer.
The powered pile slope operates with four hydraulic links enabling easy adjustment by the operator in difficult conditions .The spreader also has fore and aft adjustment.In addition to this, the lift mast has tilt and sideshiftfunctions further enabling the toplift position to be adjusted precisely.
The advantage of this increased functionality is that overall wear on the machine's tyres is reduced as the machine does not have to be repositioned many times in order to pick up a container.
Some intermodal applications require the lift truck to reach further than others - for example in the US where lift trucks are used to pick containers (that are secured between rods) from American railroad cars.For this purpose, Kalmar has extended the length of the gantry carriage by 200mm (8 inches).
The lift truck's popularity in the US is attributed to operator preference, what ever the reason though, it's popularity is undisputed as sales for the full container lift truck in 2000/2001 beat previous years' figures. In addition to sales in the US, headway has also been made in the UK, Nigeria and China where customers are using lift trucks to meet their container handling requirements.
Recent orders for the full container handling lift truck include:
Over the last twelve months, 43 machines have been delivered.Of these deliveries nine have gone to Maersk Sealand in the US for use in its Portsmouth and Tacoma facilities.The other machines have been delivered to ITS in Long Beach, California; Pomtoc in Miami; The Port of Houston; Rio Doche Pasha in California and Young Brothers in Honolulu.
Orders for the full container lift truck have also been received from: The Port of Felixstowe in the UK; China National Foreign Trade, Qingdao Port, China; Getma in France; Sudan Customs in Sudan; and the Nigerian Ports Authority.
For further information
Please contact Kalmar Industries Communications Manager
Alternatively more information can be asked from David Cheslin at Kalmar's PR agency Dunelm Public Relations on tel: + 44 20 7480 0600 or
Note to Editors
A selection of photographs featuring Kalmar's intermodal product range can be found on the Dunelm website: www.dunelmpr.co.uk.
Alternatively more information can be asked from David Cheslin at Kalmar's PR agency Dunelm Public Relations on tel: + 44 20 7480 0600 or
Amongst these pictures are:
images depicting RMGs and RTGs at work at Novatrans, Jaxport and Felixstowe.
an image of a ContChamp reachstacker being used to transfer component parts from wagons onto trucks at German motor manufacturer Audi's Neckarsulm factory.
An image showing the second rail capacity of the ContChamp. The image was taken at ÖBB's Terminal Wels
Kalmar is a global provider of heavy duty materials handling equipment and services to ports, intermodal traffic, terminals and demanding industrial customers.Kalmar focuses on supplying handling solutions that enable customers to operate with a high level of efficiency and reliability.Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine.
Kalmar provides a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management.Nelcon and Ottawa complete the portfolio of the master brand Kalmar.Manufacturing plants are situated in Sweden (as is the head office), in Finland, in the USA, in the Netherlands and in Estonia.