APM Terminals introduces crane idea

APM Terminals introduces crane idea    APM Terminals has introduced a ship-to-shore container crane design that it said would allow cranes working a ship as closely spaced as adjacent containership bays, effectively doubling crane productivity and cutting the time large containerships spend in port.
   The concept, which APM Terminals calls FastNet, was introduced last week at a conference in Barcelona by Ross Clark, the company’s head of design and development for new terminals.
   Clark said the number of ultra-large containerships carrying more than 10,000 TEUs has grown rapidly, from zero five years ago to an estimated 180 by 2012.
   “Currently when loading and unloading vessels in port, crane legs dictate a minimum spacing of one bay, resulting in lost opportunities to maximize production; as the crane leg span is wider than one bay, adjacent bays are not accessible while being loaded/unloaded,' APM Terminals said.
   'Eliminating the limitation on cranes working in adjacent bays enables the number of cranes deployed on a ship to be doubled, which in turn enables overall ship exchange to be doubled, without any increase in the handling rate of individual cranes,' Clarke said.
   The FastNet concept calls for the cranes to be suspended from large horizontal girders raised 50 meters above wharf level, eliminating large portal frames below. As a result, the cranes are as narrow as a 40-foot container and can work adjacent hatches.
   Clark told American Shipper, “We don’t have any specific plans to introduce the concept at present” But APM Terminals said it has been working on the design specifications and conducting computer simulations to perfect the technology. It has filed for patents on the technology in 17 countries, as well as the 27-member European Union.