Reach stackers, also known as horizontal stackers market, are versatile machinery used extensively at port terminals and container yards for stacking and transporting shipping containers. The key features that differentiate stackers from other types of material handling equipment include its ability to lift containers from the ground and stack them multiple high in adjacent rows without the need for pre-existing stacks. This horizontal stacking capability allows reach stackers to operate efficiently even in confined spaces.
Working Mechanism and Features
These Reach
Stackers use a telescopic boom with a spreader attachment to pick containers from trucks, trailers or ground racks and transfer them to different locations. The boom can extend and retract hydraulically to reach varying distances and heights. Mounted on rubber tires, these stackers are highly mobile and can traverse uneven surfaces within terminals. They are typically powered by diesel engines with outputs ranging from 150-400 horsepower depending on lifting capacity needs.
Modern reach stackers come equipped with advanced features for safe and efficient operation. Electronic microprocessor control systems monitor lifting and provide overload cut-offs. Spreader controls allow precise alignment of containers during stacking. Rear-view cameras and other visibility aids assist operators. GPS fleet tracking helps pinpoint equipment location. Rubber tires provide good traction for movements on asphalt, paved and even unpaved grounds.
Benefits of Reach Stackers over Other Equipment
Compared to traditional mobile harbor cranes and rail-mounted gantry cranes, reach stackers offer several advantages for container handling at ports:
- Flexibility - These stackers can work within confined spaces between containers and stacks. They don't need open areas or rail tracks like gantry cranes.
- Mobility - Being mounted on wheels, reach stackers can swiftly move loaded containers within terminals unlike stationary cranes.
- Economy - As a multi-purpose machine, a single stacker replaces the need for dedicated lifting and transport devices. This lowers capital costs for terminal operators.
- Productivity - Reach stackers allow rapid container loading/unloading and vertical stacking which increases throughput. Operators have clear visibility for precise operations.
- Energy Efficiency - Rubber tired stackers consume less fuel compared to larger conventional cranes driven by diesel engines or using rail transport.
Applications of Reach Stackers in Container Terminals
Given their versatile lifting and stacking abilities, these stackers handle a variety of tasks efficiently at container ports and yards:
Container Stacking
These stackers pick loaded containers off trucks and trailers delivering imports. They stack these vertically in yards utilizing every corner of space. For exports, they retrieve containers to load onto outbound vessels.
Inter-terminal Transfer
These stackers shift full and empty boxes between different sectors within huge port areas for sorting, customs clearance etc. without clogging limited road access.
Container Repositioning
These machines relocate individual boxes within tightly packed stacks to access specific numbers quickly for pickup by transport trucks.
Dock Operations
These stackers load and unload containers onto and from ships by parking adjacent to vessel gangways. New auto-Steer functions allow precise navigation on ship decks.
Yard Rearrangement
Whenever container stacks need reorganizing, these stackers swiftly rearrange boxes in new layouts without disturbing adjacent stacks.
Future of Reach Stackers
Going forward, these stackers will continue revolutionizing maritime container handling. Advancements in assisted controls, networking, Big Data analysis and zero-emissions power platforms will drive the next generation of these versatile machines. Telematics and IoT supported units will optimize yard operations through real-time fleet visibility, demand forecasting and autonomous operations. Hybrid-electric and hydrogen fuel cell models will help ports lower environmental impacts. With evolving port infrastructure and trade volumes, these stackers remain indispensable material handlers at leading logistics hubs worldwide.
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