Page 105: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2012)

November 2012www.marinelink.com 105ABB won contracts from two container terminal operators, APM Terminals and Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG), to provide automation systems for its new ship-to-shore cranes. Specifically, ABB?s delivery will enable the cranes to be op- erated remotely, without a driver on board, to maximize efficiency. The two new terminals that will open in 2014 in Rotterdam at Maasvlakte 2 will be thefirst in Europe to use remote control of ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, and the ter- minal of APM Terminals will be the first in the world where STS cranes have no driver?s cabin installed. The remote con- trol of cranes are intended to improve productivity and working ergonomics for crane operators, and the new terminals of APM Terminals and RWG in Rotterdam are designed to serve the largest contain- erships, ships that require lifting heightsof more than 50 m. ABB?s system for re- mote control of STS cranes has the craneoperators working in a control room lo- cated in the terminal building, where they supervise the cranes. This is designed to improve working ergonomics and help re- duce the stress on operator?s back and neck. Operators supervise the crane motionvia onboard cameras; often the cameraviews are more comprehensive than the views available from inside the crane cabin. Combined with access to controlinformation provided by the automation system, these help to improve overall op- erator performance. With a crane opera- tor on board, crane acceleration anddeceleration rates are limited. With no op- erator on board, the crane can run faster and ramp times can be shorter. This en- ables significantly shorter cycle times to unload an entire ship?s worth of cargo. ABB?s system automates the crane?s cor- rective movements to ensure accuracy and speed. With no operator on board, more aggressive corrections can be made, which further reduces cycle times and contributes to higher productivity. Remote Control Ship-to-Shore Cranes at Maasvlakte 2 MR#11 (98-105):MR Template 11/6/2012 1:45 PM Page 105