Finnish manufacturer Kalmar has delivered fleet of more than 40 automated straddle carriers to Patrick Stevedores Port Botany container terminal in Sydney, Australia.
The conversion from a manual operation was made in four days, setting a benchmark for the container terminal industry says Kalmar.
The AutoStrad terminal is one of the concepts provided by the Kalmar OneTerminal offer, which was introduced to the market at the TOC Europe exhibition in June 2015.
Patrick’s Port Botany site is now the world’s second fully-automated AutoStrad terminal, operating with 45 Kalmar AutoStrads, and real time control systems.
It follows the automation of Patrick’s Fisherman Island terminal in Brisbane, which was converted in 2005. The terminal experienced substantial improvements in safety and reliability and similar increases are now expected at Port Botany says Patrick Stevedores.
The automation technology used in Kalmar AutoStrads was developed cooperatively between Kalmar and Patrick. It is based on a radar-based navigation system. Kalmar acquired the technology from Patrick’s parent company Asciano in 2012 with the aim to become a global port automation supplier.
The AutoStrads can operate unmanned 24/7, eliminating human error and increasing workplace safety says Kalmar.
The Finnish company also says the AutoStrad technology introduces process-driven reliability into stevedoring, improving terminal throughput while lowering operating costs, and improving flexibility.
