Founded over a hundred years ago, Gottwald Port Technology GmbH, now a member of the stock-exchange listed Demag Cranes Group, took a decision twenty years ago to concentrate exclusively on products for material handling in ports and terminals. The company is acknowledged as being the inventor of the Mobile Harbour Crane and is also the pacesetter in the automation of container handling.
The range of products currently includes Mobile Harbour Cranes and such derivatives as Portal Harbour Cranes and Floating Cranes, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for horizontal container transport, Automated Stacking Cranes (ASCs) and Wide Span Gantries (WSGs). In addition, there is the navigation and management software developed in-house for operating and interlinking AGVs and ASCs, in particular. And finally, state-of-the-art simulation and emulation technology assists terminal planning, design and performance assessment even before the first cut of the spade.
The products are equally suited to operation in maritime and inland terminals and, depending on needs and the chosen configuration, work seamlessly together. The connection is made through the latest in software programming.
The tremendous increase in container and bulk transport and, as a result, the volume of cargo handled in almost every port, has necessitated, firstly, faster cargo handling and, secondly, significantly improved use of space. It was for this reason that we have almost doubled the hoisting speed – the single most important performance factor in the loading and unloading of vessels – achieved by our Generation 5 cranes compared with the previous generation. At the same time, we have improved our advance order programme for Mobile Harbour Cranes and considerably reduced production lead-times. Based on its successful Mobile Harbour Crane technology, Gottwald has developed and, quite literally, launched, Floating Cranes. Floating cranes, which are currently experiencing a renaissance, have short delivery lead-times, especially when they are based on the modular Mobile Harbour Cranes, make additional quay space unnecessary and neatly navigate around the entire problem of approvals procedures.
Apart from the benefits to a terminal generally associated with automating container transport, stacking and retrieval, Gottwald's ASCs offer far improved stacking density and faster working speeds. One-over-five stacking solutions, coupled with variable stack widths, rapid storage and retrieval, ensure high volumes and fast speeds in the container stackyard while maximising space usage. In the field of automated horizontal container transport, Gottwald is currently introducing its latest development, the Lift AGV. The Lift AGV combines Gottwald's proven AGV technology – several hundred of which are in use – with innovative features enabling container transport to be decoupled from storage processes. This not only reduces the number of vehicles required by around half, it significantly increases productivity.
The logistical interlinking of individual machines and entire fleets of machines using smart software is playing an increasingly important part. In this context, Gottwald spares no effort to ensure its own software can be easily integrated in superordinate TOS software. The part played by software in influencing productivity in terminals is generally underestimated. It is, indeed, the software that makes a considerable contribution towards improving handling rates in container terminals. After all, only software can efficiently link the processes in maritime and inland terminals. With its range of products, incorporating both hardware and software, Gottwald makes a decisive contribution to sustainable improvements in terminal productivity and to preventing quay congestion.
Yours sincerely,
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Rainer Berthan |
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Dr. Mathias Dobner |
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