6 minute read
Spreader Refi nement
SPREADER REFINEMENT
John Bensalhia highlights market and technological trends underway with telescopic spreader usage and design
Credit: Bromma
Today’s container crane telescopic spreader design trends are driven by a combination of factors all of which lead to more exacting demands from purchasers.
“Container handling with ship-to-shore (STS) cranes is getting faster, higher and heavier,” explains Lars Meurling, VP, EMEA Sales and Marketing, Bromma. “This is reflected in the specifications for the lifting equipment and for spreaders specifically.”
One of the mainstays of the sector is the electric spreader. Patrick Draper, PR & Communications, RAM Lifting Technologies (UK) Ltd, explains that electric spreaders have been pretty common in the industry for the best part of 20 years. “They make up 90 per cent of all yard crane deliveries. We feel that electric spreaders are not entirely unique, but a common type of spreader, and consider all brands of electric spreader are similar.”
Meurling concurs that the all-electric spreader is one of the most popular in the industry, with this product having been in use in yard cranes (RTG, RMG ASC etc) for two decades now. Bromma’s first all-electric yard spreader was introduced in 2001. “Today, more than 95 per cent of the yard spreaders delivered from Bromma are all-electric,” says Meurling. “The operational environment of the yard spreaders, combined with the fact that the average yard spreader is far simpler than the corresponding STS spreader, has made the acceptance and introduction of electric spreaders in the yard much easier and quicker.”
SECOND GENERATION
In 2022, Bromma launched the second generation of its allelectric separating twin STS spreader: STS45E G2 Plus. “The first generation spreader was introduced in 2007, but with hindsight, we have realised we were too early. At this time the industry was not ready for a big step towards more environmentally friendly solutions and some of the technology on the spreader was more sensitive, compared to the more common hydraulic versions,” notes the company.
Over the past few years, Bromma has refined the product bit by bit, to a solution that is more robust. This includes the components used to drive and control the motors plus the steel structure which has been further optimised to meet the more exacting requirements of today’s terminal operations.
“The recent development has, to a large extent, been done in co-operation with some of the forerunners in sustainability/ environment in the industry,” elaborates Meurling. “Long Beach Container Terminal has been a great development partner and they currently have 80 all-electric STS spreaders in operation or on order, of which 24 units are the second generation.”
In the case of twin-lift spreaders, RAM has not seen such a big demand. Patrick Draper points out that for many terminals the 20ft container population is declining. “The trend is for 40ft ISO containers. We have customers investing in tandem 40ft for yard operations, as there is little opportunity to twin lift 20ft containers. Tandem in the yard especially for rail operations can reduce operational time by up to 50 per cent, and reduce energy usage by up to 15 per cent,” he says.
OUCO’s Semi-Automatic Container Spreader is designed for terminals looking to manage ship container handling with a lower lift count. The company’s semi-automatic spreader is designed to work with single or double hook jib cranes.
In the context of specialist requirements, the TEC Container BA-320E spreader provides a good example with a unit
8 Bromma’s all-
electric spreaders are said to reduce the energy consumption by up to 90 per cent compared to hydraulic spreaders
Credit: RAM
designed to work in an anti-explosion environment for the Norwegian client TTS Group, The BA-320E was chosen to handle containers that house liquefied natural gas which is used to feed the engines of RO-PAX vessels.
Because of the nature of this kind of cargo, the BA-320E was designed to meet strict safety requirements – for example, rules pertaining to explosive atmospheres in accordance with the IEC 60079-14: 2013 standard. The BA320E also features an explosion-proof panel that houses a power supply for controls and signalling.
SUSTAINABILITY ACCOMMODATED
There is a rapid adoption of sustainability strategies in the terminal sector with this driven by the large global operators. “Geographically, the trend is more visible in Europe and North America,” says Meurling. “But the topic of low emission equipment is increasingly high on the agenda of the operators.”
He states the STS45E G2 Plus reduces energy consumption by almost 90 per cent compared to a corresponding hydraulic spreader. “The emission saving for one crane/ spreader in a high activity terminal is 15 tons when the allelectric spreader is used. This also translates into a significant cost saving as a result of the energy consumption reduction.”
“Bromma expects,” he elaborates, “that the sales (orders) for all-electric STS spreaders will pick up momentum but over the next few years the activity will be seen primarily in Europe and North America.”
TIMING AND TECHNOLOGY
Lead times for spreaders can vary – with an average run of between three and six months. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt, as Patrick Draper explains:
“For RAM, it is between three to six months, as some electric motors are on a long lead-time, due to the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Lars Meurling says that the lead time for a hydraulic STS spreader is in the range of five to six months while the lead time for the all-electric versions are slightly longer. “As the electric spreaders become more commonly ordered, representing a larger share of the spreaders delivered, the lead time will decrease and is expected to be comparable to the hydraulic version in the near future,” he explains.
RAM will be announcing a totally new design of electric actuator in 2023, which will have more torque than current hydraulic actuators. “The target for this flipper/gather guide is for our tandem headblock, that needs high torque due to the higher weight of two headblocks and two spreaders underneath,” explains Draper.
Modern day technology is also influencing spreader innovation.
All Bromma spreaders today are delivered with the option to connect them to SMS. “SMS has been on the market for two years now, but is gaining momentum as customers see the increased value and in the end increased productivity. The allelectric spreaders are no exceptions, as they are prepared for being connected upon agreement,” says Meurling.
Responding to automated container terminal requirements is another design influence. RAM’s 6900 series, for example, includes low spreader height, higher gathering force and also image analysis. Its twin lift housing design reduces the amount of components required to carry out telescopic twin lift tasks, reportedly resulting in lower levels of both maintenance and downtime.
With advances in technology, operator interaction can be lessened. This is the case with the Tandemloc Electric Load Levelling Container Spreader Frame. The product is also designed to tackle cases that a conventional spreader could not – for example, in instances where the container is not loaded evenly or is affected by overhead restrictions. The Tandemloc load levelling spreader has under 40” of pull to pull, so overhead restrictions are not an issue.
The Tandemloc Frame has been upgraded to make it safer and easier to use. The manufacturer describes the spreader as a complete, all-in-one lifting package that only takes about five minutes to set up for use. Industrial wireless remote control allows for less manual operation. In order to achieve the required level lift, the top frame is positioned directly over the centre of the load. The centre of gravity is offset from the middle of the container, resulting in efficient handling operations. Furthermore, minor load levelling adjustments can be made while the load is still hanging from the crane.
Automation is increasingly being implemented on STS cranes, as Meurling highlights. “Optical Character recognition, sensors for positioning as well as for detection of dangerous situations and general safety logic are a specification more commonly seen.”
8 RAM’s 6900
