With imports and exports at an all time high in today’s modern society, at many modern ports around the world you’ll find dockside cranes. These are large types of gantry cranes that are used to load and unload heavy shipping containers to and from cargo ships and lorries.
Their design and build allows them to easily handle large volumes of cargo with efficiency, as well as prioritising and meeting ever-growing safety demands. Keep reading as we explore all of this in more detail.
The Critical Role They Play in Dockside Operations
As we stated, the primary role of a dockside crane is to load and unload cargo between ships moored at the port and lorries on the docks. These large cranes often work in close proximity to one another, however have been designed to do so effectively, allowing several cranes to operate across any single ship at the same time.
As well as handling cargo, these cranes can also be used in the construction and repairs of ships. Many ships are built, or are finished being built on the water. This is often the most efficient way of doing so, rather than building them on land to then find a way of transporting them to the water (something which is often infeasible for ships of such a large size).
How do They Enhance Efficiency?
There are various ways in which these cranes enhance the efficiency of dockside operations.
Firstly, the ability for multiple cranes to be working on the same ship at the same time increases the speed with which a single ship can be loaded or unloaded, allowing for the transportation of cargo to take place promptly and minimise delays.
Not only that, but their size, strength and design makes for a much more efficient method of moving cargo compared to other methods. This is because cargo can be directly moved from A to B, rather than multiple steps being required between these points. Not only that, but a single crane is able to move a shipping container on its own, as opposed to multiple pieces of lifting equipment being required.
Prioritising Safety
Being located by the sea, there are multiple safety concerns with dockside operations. For example, high winds and adverse weather conditions, alongside the general safety concerns associated with heavy lifting and equipment failure.
As such, dockside cranes are often implemented with emergency stop systems, load monitoring devices and anti-collision systems to prioritise safe operations.
It’s also important that regular load testing, inspections, maintenance and operator training is carried out to further ensure safety standards are met.
Reliable Crane Maintenance
If you require a reliable gantry crane for your dockside operations or require maintenance from expert crane engineers, then we’ve got you covered here at Crane and Lifting Services Ltd.
We offer a range of expert services, including overhead gantry crane training and crane testing and maintenance.
To discuss your requirements with us, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
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