Advanced technology and automation are now ubiquitous.” From the lumber yard to the container yard In the late 1970s, three-high stacking straddle carriers gained popularity at ports and terminals around the world, and this basic configuration remains hugely successful to this day. For a few years in the 1990s, straddle carriers were produced under the brand name Sisu. In 1997, the company merged with Kalmar Industries, and became part of Cargotec in 2005. Today, Kalmar is the world leader in straddle carriers. Current models feature modular designs that give the possibility to tailor machines based on customer preferences. The workhorse of ports and terminals around the globe, the Kalmar Classic Straddle Carrier is the most common straddle carrier in the world. For even higher performance and speed, many customers opt for the Electric Straddle Carrier model which features AC power in drive and hoist movement with regenerative energy transfer. “Kalmar equipment is continuously being upgraded with incremental improvements for each individual project,” says Tero Kokko, Vice President, Horizontal Transportation, Kalmar. “The most notable improvement over the past year is our new engine portfolio – a requirement for meeting increasingly more stringent exhaust emission regulations.” In addition, safety and ergonomics are key concerns in the development of the next generations of Kalmar straddle carriers. Focus areas include prevention of machines tipping, anti-collision and shock monitoring systems, integrated monitoring and remote connections capabilities and
2 A predecessor of the modern straddle carrier developed in Tampere, Finland.
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AutoStradTM at Asciano’s Patrick Fisherman Islands in Australia.
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further improvements in ergonomics and usability.
Fast, safe and automatic Kalmar also provides fully automated straddle carrier terminals for containerhandling customers. “While our products include a whole range of features to ensure the safe operation of manually driven straddle carriers, the safest mode of operation is, in fact, automation. Kalmar is leading the industry in automation of straddle carriers, having several active projects where this technology has been or will be integrated,” adds Tero Kokko. As automation is also the key element in keeping today’s terminals competitive, it
is not surprising that the Kalmar straddle carrier (serial number 5000) is an Electric AutoStradTM model. Rolling off the production line at Stargard Szczecinski, Poland in May 2013, the vehicle will be delivered to global customer Asciano. “We will be hosting a small celebratory ceremony with them,” smiles Kari Ronkainen, looking back at the decades of history that have led to this machine. Indeed, it is a long way from the sawmills of 1940s Finland to today’s major container ports around the world, but Kalmar straddle carriers continue to draw upon an unparalleled technical heritage and experience in fulfilling their purpose – making your every move count. KALMAR GLOBAL
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