The innovation means that slight adjustments of several centimeters can be made when securing a container for lifting, without having to move the entire crane itself.

The “sideshift” devices do not affect the load capacity or maximum lift height of the RTGs, and permit faster and safer container loading.
 
Collaborations between APM Terminals Algeciras and the University of Cadiz, which began November 2008, have led to a number of terminal equipment design improvements and patents improving both efficiency and safety.

In recognition of these advances, APM Terminals Algeciras was named “Innovative Company of the Year” in both regional and national Spanish competitions in 2008.

“It has been a perfect marriage of operational experience in the yard and academic expertise in making ideas into reality” said Francisco Amores, APM Terminals Algeciras Technical Department Manager, of the collaboration.

Another patented innovation developed by the two research teams enables the hoist cables on the massive ship-to-shore gantry cranes to be replaced in six hours rather than a 24-hour long procedure, while the boom is raised, so that terminal operations of adjacent cranes are not affected. The reduction in time for the regularly scheduled cables replacements is also a significant safety factor.

The combined research effort was put on temporary hold in December of 2009. Other results of the collaboration include predictive equipment maintenance advances based upon oil analysis and infra-red scanning (both under implementation) and vibration measurement, which is still in development.

APM Terminals Algeciras is one of the largest and busiest container terminals in the Mediterranean with an annual throughput capacity of 3.4 million TEUs, is a major transshipment hub, as well as a gateway for the Andalusia region.