Cargotec bridges the automation gap in terminal container flows

Today, stevedores manually remove twistlocks during the discharge process and fix them during the load process. Cargotec can now bridge the automation gap between ship to shore cranes and horizontal transportation. The innovative automated lashing platform is the only fully automated coning and de-coning device on the market for use in ports.

“Our objective is to make container handling as efficient as possible. Optimising the flow of containers in a terminal requires improved efficiency in all phases, from ship to truck. The system is designed for all marine container terminals seeking reduced costs, higher productivity and worker safety. By using automation to insert and remove semi automatic twistlocks on the quayside, the time for coning and de-coning is reduced from more than 20 to less than one second. When you save around 20 seconds per container, there is an obvious boost to productivity, especially when unloading ships with thousands of containers,” said Frank Kho, Senior Vice President of Terminal Projects and Offerings, Cargotec.

A ship to shore crane places the container directly on the platform, which de-cones the twistlocks. Unlike other solutions on the market place, this system needs no external power and produces zero emissions. It can handle most twistlock types in everyday use. Other features include high capacity, with the capability to discharge and load all containers from a 14,000 teu vessel, as well as remote control and optional communications integration with a terminal operating system (TOS).