Eight cranes, capable of 48m outreach, will be completely refurbished with digital electrical system technology. Upgrades will be made to the cranes’ PLCs, speed drives, control monitoring systems, motors, cables, brakes, festoon systems, operator cabins and load weighing systems. Two further post-Panamax cranes will be raised in height to accommodate larger container ships.
“These cranes are 10-15 years old, but they are still in good structural condition. We expect that their life expectancy will be extended by a minimum of one million cycles. With newer generation electrical and electronic components, the reliability and uptime of the cranes will be significantly improved. Each unit will also benefit from a new Crane Maintenance Management System (CMMS) for faster diagnosis of technical faults, in turn reducing mean time to repair,” said Collin Swee, director, Cargotec Terminal Business Malaysia,
The cranes will also have their control systems modified to allow for twin-lift operations and the upgrade will result in a 15% improvement in operational speed and efficiency.
The 20-month retrofit project will see cranes redelivered progressively, with the first back in service by end first quarter 2011, and the last operational by first quarter 2012. The separate crane height increase project will commence early next year.
Although Northport’s quay cranes are not Kalmar-built, Cargotec performs refurbishment services on its own and other-branded cranes. Northport operates with Kalmar equipment including 24 straddle carriers, three
