Konecranes president and CEO, Pekka Lundmark believes the Finnish company’s new rubber tyre gantry crane (RTG) concept will quite literally turn the industry on its head.
In a unique twist, the cabin for the new BOXHUNTER RTG is located on the ground in the midst of container operation.
Speaking to PTI, Lundmark said that “radical innovations to the RTG concept” were only possible thanks to a combination of “the latest operational technology” at Konecranes’ disposal.
The operating concept is based on advanced video and laser technology developed for Konecranes Automated Stacking Cranes (ASCs).
Cameras are installed at key view points around the crane, each directly fed into a highly sophisticated graphical user interface, providing excellent visibility for the operator, despite the redesigned cabin placement.
According to Lundmark, the design for the new BOXHUNTER came from discussion with smaller terminal operators who want the same quality as larger models, such as the larger Konecranes 16-wheel RTG, but don’t have the space or the finances:
“There are many ports in the world which are not these mega hubs like Singapore, but secondary and regional ports that are looking to enhance their capacity to become more competitive,” said Lundmark.
“Following many discussions, we found that these customers wanted an RTG that was specifically designed for medium capacity handling and one that didn’t compromise on quality, technology and safety, and one that is more economical than those in the top segment.”
The result is a much simpler structure with the same performance, “approximately 25 percent cheaper than the top segment RTGs.”
BOXHUNTER is still more than capable of handling around 15+ container movements per hour, with high reliability and low downtime.
Due to the simplicity of the model “when compared to traditional RTGs we (Konecranes) have been able to improve the fuel consumption as it is lighter due to the introduction of counterweights.”
The simplicity of the model means that it can be shipped in parts via container transport, massively reducing any expensive shipping costs associated with larger RTGs.
Each BOXHUNTER comes with very minimum customisation options, but can still be equipped with extra safety and operator-aiding features. DGPS auto steering and TRUCONNECT remote monitoring are both easily installed to the new model.
Konecranes officially launched the BOXHUNTER concept at TOC Asia earlier this week.
