Containers are used for delivery and storage of goods. For logistics a container is a good itself, a cargo unit and packaging; and regardless of how and where it is processed for working of sea and railway containers any port, terminal, depot, station should have a set of mechanisms to ensure a complex of works and measures on maintenance of container flow. Depending on the flow of containers, their purpose, type and size, a container site chooses the freight mechanism that meets their purposes in the best way. Not all machines for working with containers are exchangeable and not all terminals can use container transport from another site. It all depends on specialization of the terminal. The evolution of container mechanisms continues to present day. They are divided by tonnage, mobility, type of its running gear, capture type of container, etc.
The capacity for container crane or loader is determined by its weight limit, taken at the maximum height that does not disrupt the stability of the whole mechanism. Large terminals and ports working with loaded containers have heavy-lifting container mechanisms. The more inventory weight a loader has, the easier it works, but there is no need for terminals to purchase a cargo unit to lift 60 tons, if the maximum weight of containers, the turnover of which is envisaged in the project design, does not exceed 35 tons. For all the variety of devices, ports are required to have cranes able to load and unload containers from ships at its disposal. For berth container cranes the length of cantilever is important. The wider the vessel that the terminal is ready to handle, the higher container turnover is. For railway stations, on the contrary, crane or loader should be compact, maneuverable to provide unloading of containers on a number of exhibition tracks. Such mechanisms include shear legs and bridge cranes with spreader capture and container trucks of type KALMAR.
Small container depots and terminals have their needs. One crane can use small container capacity without a large expenditure on the purchase of large-capacity crane. Sometimes terminals can rent a truck crane. In that case, if the site works only with empty containers, then it is profitable to buy stacker or reach stacker for effective placing of container packs. Their performance capabilities are much wider than that of a truck crane. Containers can be placed in 5-6 tiers. And for delivery and simultaneous unloading of empty containers you can use crane-manipulator. This way is often used by customers of empty containers, in order not to spend the extra money on a separate order of the crane. The manipulator is very limited in its capability for working on large areas. It is worth to note that the cantilever of a manipulator is not able to move empty containers to a great distance from truck’s border. FUTOVIK provides services and advice on the selection of the crane, its lease for work with containers.
