Based on the excellent results achieved at the autostrad operation at Patrick Fisherman Island berth 7 in Brisbane, Australia, Patrick has now placed an order for 14 Kalmar ESC straddle carriers that will be equipped for unmanned operations.
The machines will be delivered to three new berths currently under construction at the company Fisherman Islands facility in the Port of Brisbane.
The expansion of autostrad operations demonstrates Patrick trust in the autostrad concept during 12 months of genuine commercial operation with five retro-fitted Kalmar CSC straddle carriers.
Howard Wren, Principal Consultant, Patrick, stated:
"The first year of commercial operations with the unmanned straddles has been extremely good. In fact, the operation has met all our expectations, specifically in the areas of productivity, safety and cost efficiency."
For the new berths, Patrick has decided to order newly developed Kalmar EDRIVE straddle carriers, their high overall performance having been confirmed recently by large orders from leading European operators.
Kalmar and Patrick have been working together for several years on a joint project to develop an unmanned straddle carrier operation. In mid 2002, the autostrad operation went live with the commencement of commercial operations.
Kalmar knowledge and experience has been applied to developing machine control systems that move, brake and steer the straddle carriers and ensure that the machines pick and place the containers in the correct positions. Included in this has been work on refining the capabilities of sensors for container detection and safety systems modules.
Patrick has been concentrating on navigation positioning using radar, lasers and GPS, the tasking system and the traffic management system.
Safety has been one of the main concerns all along. There are no people in the automated terminal. The reefer and road interchange are strictly controlled. Straddle carriers are prohibited from the reefer area if monitoring is taking place.
The truck grid is the only place where the straddle is operated under remote control. This is achieved using a joystick. The road truck backs onto the grid, the driver leaves the truck and closes the gate behind him. Only then can the straddle enter through another gate to pick up the container.
The Kalmar straddle carriers are equipped with anti-collision lasers and anti-collision bumpers. Anything that comes within a specified distance in front of the machine will stop the machine. Similarly, if the straddle hits something, it will also stop immediately.
ESC straddle carriers impress in Europe
According to Ilkka Annala, VP Kalmar straddle carriers, in choosing the Kalmar EDRIVE machine, Patrick follows other leading terminal operators which have recently purchased significant numbers of these straddles:
"For example, Hesse-Noord Natie in Belgium first bought two ESC straddle carriers for testing last year. It has been impressed by the efficiency of the machines, which racked up a massive 800 operational hours in just the first five weeks of operation. They have recently placed an order with us for nine ESC straddle carriers, four of which will be equipped with extendable twinlift spreaders having a 50-ton lift capacity.
"The EDRIVE ESC machines have also been successful in Germany where we recently won an order for four machines (plus an option for four more) from Hamburger Hafen- und Lagerhaus-AG (HHLA ) for use in its Burchardkai Terminal in Hamburg.
"With a lower centre of gravity, the ESC straddle carriers offer more stability than their competitors. They also boast more engine power, 20% higher lifting speed, faster driving speed and better acceleration than competitors’ models, resulting in a 10% higher overall performance rate, giving Kalmar customers the distinct competitive edge."
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“Based on the excellent results achieved at the autostrad operation at Patrick Fisherman Island berth 7 in Brisbane, Australia, Patrick has now placed an order for 14 Kalmar ESC straddle carriers that will be equipped for unmanned operations.
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. Manufacturing plants are situated in Sweden (as is the head office), in Finland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Malaysia, China and the USA.
More information:aija.kalander@kalmarind.com