In Sweden, there are now eight ZPMC straddle carriers operating at Hutchison Ports’ new terminal at Stockholm, which handled its first call this May. In South Africa, ZPMC has now won an order for 22 straddles, with an option for a further 66 units.

The straddle market is a tough one for new entrants, especially when it comes to winning a large tender. Over the years, straddle operators with large fleets have preferred to try a small number of new machines from new players, rather than commit to a very large first order from a new supplier.

South Africa’s Transnet kept its options open in the tender document, with conditions including no requirement to accept the lowest price tender, and the option to split the order between different suppliers. It used a five-stage process to evaluate the tender. Stages one and two required full, accurate and timely administrative responses and document completion.

Stage three was the technical stage, where Transnet set minimum design requirements, and used a points system to evaluate each bid against 100 possible points.

Minimum requirements included (among other criteria) compliance to FEM 1.0001 design, a 40t capacity, four-high stacking, flatrack handling capability to 500mm, the ability to operate with a spacing of 1.65m between stacks, support for the control system for the life of the machine, onboard and remote diagnostics, and an auto-positioning system for handling containers on and off trucks and stacks.

Of the 100 evaluation points, 60 were allocated to technical and operational criteria. Of these, 25 were allocated to compliance with the 197 ‘compliant clauses’ in the technical specification, while the other 35 points were awarded based on other technical criteria, including:

• Up to three points for unrestricted operation in wind speed exceeding the minimum requirement of 72 kph.
• Up three points for sideshift functionality.
• Up to five points for maximum operational speeds with a 40t load.

Transnet allocated 20 evaluation points for ‘track record’, based on the number of straddle carriers with at least 40t capacity under the spreader delivered over the last five years. To get the maximum 20 points, a supplier needed to have built over 100 machines in that period. No points were awarded unless the bidder had delivered at least 20 machines in the period.

The final 20 points were allocated based on lead time, with up to seven points for supplying the first batch of 8 machines within nine months, up to seven points for supplying the second within 10 months, and up to six points for supplying the last six machines in less than 11 months. Delivery points were awarded on a sliding scale and could be pro-rated for a staged delivery.

In order to meet the technical qualification threshold, a supplier had to be awarded at least 80% of the total available technical rating points to move on to stage four.

Stage four was the ‘evaluation and final weighted scoring’ where bidders were awarded 90 out of 100 points based on price, and 10 of 100 based on their BBEEE (Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment) scorecard. Transnet then conducted negotiations with the highest ranking bidder.

The order signals ZPMC’s intent to be a much larger player in the straddle carrier market. It plans to deliver all the machines by the end of 2020, and has set up a straddle production line with a capacity for 200 machines a year at its facility in Nanhui, where it also manufactures operator cabins, spreaders, reach stackers and AGVs.

Straddle R&D

Along with its marketing push and commitment to manufacturing, ZPMC is stepping up its efforts in straddle R&D. It has filed several applications for patents relating to straddle carrier technology.

One of these is for a ‘volume service integrated electro-hydraulic steering system’. Filed in 2019, the application noted that, as Chinese terminals use AGVs or trucks, “there is no related technology research in China on straddle carriers” and “under the background of the rapid development of terminal AGV automation, electric drive, and greening, research is being conducted on foreign straddle carrier technology”.

This research includes the steering system, where ZPMC noted that all machines use a proportional-valve controlled hydraulic system. “This system supplies oil to each steering drive system through a centralised hydraulic station. It has problems such as heavy weight, multiple pipelines, high energy consumption, complex troubleshooting, and large construction volume.”

ZPMC’s alternative is a “volume servo integrated electro-hydraulic steering system”. This includes a control unit, a power unit, and an actuator connected in sequence, a rotation angle sensor for real-time signal feedback of the position of the wheel, and a transmission sensor. The power unit drives the hydraulic cylinder connected to the suspension. ZPMC claims its system has a number of advantages, including achieving independent steering, Ackerman steering and “on-site steering (slewing) mode”.

Other patent applications disclose a rotating seat mechanism and a straddle carrier spreader testing station.

Eyeing automation

Many, if not the majority, of straddle carrier terminals are looking at the growing number of automated machines around the world and considering how automation fits with their own strategic plan. The ability to keep the flexibility of a straddle operation and transition to automation without a major change in the terminal layout or extensive civil works certainly has a lot of appeal.

Consequently, the number of new straddle carriers that are delivered ‘ready for automation’ continues to increase. Earlier this year, Konecranes reported that APM Terminals Rotterdam (APMT-R) has ordered a fleet of 16 diesel-electric machines. These will be added to the existing fleet of 41 Konecranes Noell straddles at the terminal.

The machines on order are of the type NSC 644 E, diesel-electric machines lifting containers 1-over-3, equipped with Konecranes Noell NTS 62 F twin-lift spreaders. Three of the spreaders will be equipped with interfaces to a special snow-sweeping system. They will have built-in readiness for automation, and all will be equipped with the Konecranes Noell Fleet Management System (FMS), which APMT-R already operates.

Whether or not APMT-R, which is up for sale, will convert to automation at some point is not known, but other straddle operators have confirmed to WorldCargo News that they are actively planning their own transition.

As well as existing straddle carrier terminals, the promise of more cost-effective automation is broadening the appeal of the straddle concept to other facilities, including in the US. Now that APM Terminals has decided to convert Pier 400 in Los Angeles to automated straddles, with around 30 or so Kalmar machines in the first phase, the chances are quite high that other terminals will follow if the project is a success.

Moving into rail

Straddle carriers are also finding appeal with Class I railroads in the US. CSX Intermodal incorporated four straddle carriers (then from Terex Noell) into the design of its Northwest Ohio (NWOH) hub facility a decade ago.

With five widespan RMGs serving 3,000ft of processing track, CSX was originally planning to use 12-15 tractor-trailer sets to move containers between cranes on a dedicated lane between the gantry legs. Modelling from Hamburg Port Consulting, however, showed the grounding ability of the straddle carriers meant just 2.5 machines could keep the RMGs operating at the same rate.

At the time, WorldCargo News asked whether CSX might be tempted to use the flexibility of the straddles to service road trucks and perform other yard moves, which certainly seemed like a good opportunity. It was not on the cards for CSX at that particular time, but BNSF is now planning to use automated straddle carriers in a wider role at its terminal in Kansas.

As reported last month (WorldCargo News, July 2020, p1), BNSF is moving forward with its automated straddle carrier pilot project at its Logistics Park Kansas City (LPKC) Intermodal Facility. It has been testing two Kalmar AutoStrads to handle road trucks, manage a stacking area, and exchange containers with the widespan gantry cranes that handle the trains. The six-acre automated area is fenced off to personnel, and the truck gate features a safety gate system similar to the design Patrick Terminals uses at its Australian AutoStrad terminals.

STRADegy delays

Eurogate’s STRADegy project, where it has been evaluating AutoStrad technology at Wilhelmshaven, has been subject to some delays. The infrastructure and installation work was completed in Eurokai’s FY 2019. The positioning and safety systems to be tested, along with the systems on two STS cranes and one RMG, as well as the test facilities for the road truck transfer areas, and the interface between manual and automated areas (including for maintenance and service) were installed and commissioned.

The Kalmar automated machines arrived in Q1 2019 and started what Eurokai called “intensive and extensive safety and performance testing”. However, Kalmar was unable to make up delays encountered in 2019 in the development of the control and emulation software. “While the necessary system components as a basis for the decision on whether to roll out the automated straddle carriers in commercial terminal operations were supplied by Kalmar by the end of 2019, the necessary analyses, tests and expected adjustments will still take some time, so that a final evaluation of the project is likely in Q2 2020,” said Eurokai.

WorldCargo News made enquiries, but Eurogate declined to provide a further update at this point. However, automation remains a key part of Eurokai’s strategy for the future. It notes that 20,000+ TEU vessels present a challenge for terminal operators, and processes need to be “predictable and reliable” to meet a changing competitive dynamic.

“Eurogate cannot afford to ignore these developments if it is to remain competitive. For this reason, we also focus over the long term on standardisation, as well as the implementation of further digitalisation and automation technologies, as well as continuous process optimisation,” said Eurokai.

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This complete item is approximately 2100 words in length, and appeared in the August 2020 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 26. To access this issue download the PDF here