ABB crane solutions keep global trade moving

April 27, 2009
ABB
News

Summary

April 27, 2009 - In the past few years, ABB’s automatic rail-mounted gantry cranes (ARMGs) have revolutionized the way that containers are handled in container terminals the world over. The ability of the ARMGs to excel in key performance indicators like crane productivity, number of containers handled, low energy cost per container, and fast and accurate automatic operation, has rapidly made the ABB concept first choice among the world’s terminal operators and crane manufacturers. A perfect 100 In fact, the concept is so successful that in 2008 ABB ARMGs took 100 percent of all orders placed for rail-mounted gantry cranes worldwide. By year’s end five of the world’s ten busiest container terminals – including international benchmark terminals like CTA (Hamburg), Euromax (Rotterdam), Busan New Port (Korea), Kaohsiung and Taipei (both Taiwan) – were equipped with ABB crane automation systems. More than 10,000 containers are moved each day in a typical modern container terminal. Each one of these moves has to be performed quickly and to the right destination without interfering with other containers, cranes or vehicles. One operator, one control room = one dozen cranes Whereas conventional rail-mounted gantry cranes require one operator per crane to perform these moves, the ABB concept enables a single supervisor to monitor between 8 and 12 automatic (unmanned) RMGs from a central control room – a considerable reduction in manpower and a massive boost in productivity per operator. The ARMGs use a combination of patented high-precision ABB technologies – load positioning, target positioning and load control systems – that enable the crane to take the shortest and safest path to the target container, approach it at speed, and build stacks of containers up to 25 meters in height with millimeter accuracy. The all-electric cranes are also exceptionally energy efficient. They utilize energy three to four times more effectively than diesel RTGs and regenerate electric power back into the grid during low load. Unlike diesel cranes, ARMGs produce no greenhouse gas emissions. ABB crane systems consist of advanced power and automation equipment - drives, motors, switchgear, transformers, distribution systems, powerful sensors and control systems. ABB recently supplied a crane systems solution for the world’s first fully automated bulk cargo terminal in Shanghai, China. Click here to see a short video about ABB ARMG solutions: search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=3AST003458D0079&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartID=&Action=Launch ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people. Learn More

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