Loading bags into barges and other vessels with SMB technology

SMB International offers a range of solutions for the loading of bulk materials and bags, or combined bag/bulk material loading, for all situations.

 A considerable amount of money is spent on shiploading systems, particularly in countries with plenty of rivers and other waterways, like Bangladesh, Russia or Vietnam. Variations in water levels also add to the costs. Labour costs in head loading of bags is very high, as it requires a good deal of manpower, which means that demurrage can be very costly. For such applications, German mechanical engineering company SMB designs and builds automatic barge loading systems or shiploading systems for bags. Its systems use a loading arm that can reach the entire hatch of the barge/ship by slewing and luffing its boom. A telescopic spiral chute extends the loading distance from the boom to the bottom of the ship. The telescopic loading head can be rotated in order to reach the entire freight room. Numerous rivers make transportation advantageous, since wide routes can be covered by ship. Cargo does not have to be reloaded on other vehicles. Furthermore, there are several loading spots along the river.

The main focus of SMB’s complex systems is on the loading of fertilizers, sulphur, rice, sugar and cement as well as bulkmaterials and bags in general. Even heavy goods — for example clinkers — can be transported. The speciality of this company from northern Germany is combined loading-systems for bags and bulk-material. Here, a combination of conveying systems is used, making it possible for both loading types to work independently of each other.

 

Modern technology guarantees efficient operation of the systems, as well as fast loading and unloading. SMB has long experience in the area of barge- and shiploading systems, as well as in the redesign and modernization of existing systems by equipping them with modern controls. This will enable the remote diagnosis of the systems and maintenance via the internet.

Higher performances and capacities can so be achieved. The main focus is always to guarantee optimal use through the most modern procedures and thought-through system solutions.

When rebuilding, SMB’s engineers use existing steel-frameworks and install the latest and most modern technology into them. This procedure is particularly profitable as the main structure of the system will remain. According to the type of redesign, it can be carried out within only six weeks of downtime of the system. In addition to this, the operations are essentially more favourable than a complete new system.

Within this area, SMB can carry out the entire modernization, including not only the conception, the project-management and the drawings, but also technical development as well as worldwide services.

 

Every task requires specific demands, whether they are naturally bound through wind, snow, heat and danger of earthquake or product-specific through self-combustibility and Ex areas (operation areas with potentially explosive atmosphere). “Each new task brings different challenges. Learning and improving continuously makes our work so exciting. In this way we are able to develop such clever and individual solutions,” Andreas Heckel, managing director of SMB International GmbH, explains. To date, many individual installations have been built, including a telescopic loading arms or spiral chutes, telescopic loading heads and rotating turntables for distribution.

The operator can operate the system with a joystick remote control. Usually, when handling bulk material, a telescopic cascade chute will ensure almost dust-free loading. Shorter lay days, high throughput, reliability and custom solutions are included as standard to ensure an optimal loading device. Moveable or stationary loading systems can be chosen, according to the operational requirements.

When loading mineral raw material, for instance, forming a main focus of SMB’s complex systems, conveyor belts, loading pipes or cascade chutes take over transportation and loading processes. Throughputs of up to 3,000tph (tonnes per hour) for bulk materials (grit, sand, salt, ore or quartz) can be achieved by using the most modern technology. Different loading substances mean that SMB’s engineers receive a wide variety of requests for the company’s shiploading and filling solutions. SMB Loading systems for bulk materials and bags are traditional products of SMB (Sonder Maschinenen Bau — in English, ‘custom-made machines’). SMB started out supplying simple conveying systems, and has continuously developed to become a major innovator of port material handling systems of all kinds. SMB not only manages the complicated demands of bulk material transportation, but is also an expert in the field of bag loading. The highest quality standards are ensured by using highquality components and raw materials in the production process. In this way, the machine producer from Quickborn produces high-performance conveying solutions, especially designed for long-term stress periods while requiring the minimum of energy. Numerous projects all over the world are proof that the company’s products are popular with ship-owners, harbour managers and industrial businesses, and SMB ensures that its prices remain competitive. Recent projects in the Middle East, South-East Asia and Europe are further proof of this.