Above: Shiploader with increased mobility options – ideal for narrow and no dedicated quays.
The current landscape of bulk material handling continues to place new practical and low environmental impact demands on many industries in relation to shiploading systems, writes Petar Karaivanov, Marketing & Communications Manager, SAMSON Materials Handling.
Flexibility, adaptability, and eco-friendly solutions have received increased attention from researchers, designers, and managers based on the fact that infrastructure facilities are required to facilitate various activities. Some undertakings require waterside or landside access, others require extensive berthing, mooring, transhipment, or storage facilities, while others entail no facility.
Many of the existing industry projects have a design life of several decades that must fulfil current and future demands by providing increased chance of returns on investments, but also contributes towards sustainability through efficient use of resources and equipment.
Shiploader with integrated mobile SAMSON material feeders — as one unit or separate.
FLEXIBILITY, ADAPTABILITY FOR SHIPLOADING SYSTEMS
In this dynamic and ever-changing industry, equipment plays a fundamental role when flexibility, dependability, and environ mentally friendly performance need to be at the core of every product concept, whether for the reception of materials from trucks, rail wagons or ships, or for discharging, for example onto existing belt conveyors in quarries. Latest trends clearly indicate a shift from the reactive approaches of design to proactive ones that accom modate short and long-term flexibility and adaptability in order to maximize returns of investments in the long run.
Most of the large organizations have overseen that these requirements are provided to each individual customer and their specific demands are met. Since projects specifications vary for each client, ship loading systems need to maintain a highly adaptable and flexible spectrum, including the ability to fully operate on wide and narrow quays or to be stored away when not in use.
The design of the exemplified SAMSON Shiploader (image 1 on p79) includes state of the art mobility options improving the machines manoeuvrability, thus reducing the overall loading time associated with its operation. The benefits gained through this design are reduced imposed loads on the quay surface, whilst maintaining the ability to mount various trimming and dust suppression options to the equipment. It has powered travel which is ideal for narrow quays.
These shiploading systems are a cost-effective and fast track solution with complete flexibility and can be combined with material feeder receiving units (as shown in image 2 on p79), meaning the entire equipment can be moved as an integrated unit providing maximum rigidity and minimum weight.
STORMAJOR® — mobile solution for radial stockpiling, barge and railwagon loading.
The SAMSON mobile STORMAJOR® is the latest addition to the company’s portfolio of materials handling solutions for ports and terminals. The unit opens up new possibilities for stockpiling, barge loading and railcar loading. As well as featuring a radial out loading boom on a single chassis, it has the unique benefit of total mobility, providing universal applications and ultra-high performance. It has the flexibility to receive a wide range of materials directly from tipping trucks, shovels or even articulated dump trucks. The STORMAJOR® offers the performance of a fixed installation without the need for permanent infrastructure. The STORMAJOR® can be used on non-dedicated quays and moved off the area when not in use.
CONCLUSION
Future shiploading systems must offer flexible and environmentally friendly import and export solutions for all bulk materials if they seek to increase the maximum potential returns of investments and increase the lifespan of equipment.
Distinctively tailored designs to match various types of vessels (eg. from barges to Panamax size) and customer demands will provide an adaptive approach and enhancement in quality of operations at a low price in the long run.
The examples of equipment provided by SAMSON Material Handling are equipped with state of the art dust filtration systems which brings the environmental impact close to zero ranking them among the top current experts in the fields of adaptability and low ecological impact of operations in loading systems.