Hansaport, bulk terminal operator at the Port of Hamburg, Germany’s largest seaport terminal for bulk cargo, is bringing in two new shunting robots from Vollert for the loading of coal and iron ore.
Both machines are the first to feature the all new- design with modular construction.
At the beginning of 2011,Vollert’s next-generation shunting robot will be delivered to Hansaport. The company has its own railway station, comprising 15 tracks. Up to 100,000 tonnes can be loaded daily along the 760m-long pier. Hansaport transships 15mt (million tonnes) of cargo each year. Two-thirds of this volume is moved by rail, and the entire loading and unloading process is fully automatic. For round- the-clock loading, 360 days a year, it is vital to ensure high availability.
The next-generation shunting robot from Vollert has an all- new design, bearing the colours yellow and blue. Its broad range of applications makes it ideal for use in refineries, power stations and building material plants, the steel and metal industry through to the petrochemicals industry, as well as the timber and food industry. Equipment and performance vary, depending on the application, and will be simplified in future with the advent of standardized assemblies and a scalable, modular design that is shared by the smallest to the largest, most powerful robot.
The product configurator from Vollert is also new and allows individual items such as pneumatics, wipers, or flange, lubrication to be combined, added, or removed in the way that customers use the configurators provided by automakers. The main advantage of the modular design lies in the minimal maintenance and repair they require, which is a direct result of the time- tested production components installed.
Other arguments in favour of using this solution from Vollert
Vollert shunting robot.
include lower operating expenses and significantly reduced environmental pollution when compared with other solutions.
All future Vollert shunting robots will have the company’s yellow and blue livery. At Hansaport,Vollert’s DER240 model will cope with a traction weight of up to 6,000 tonnes. The robot has two bogies and a Megi spring pack for excellent running capacities. The model’s diesel-electric drive unit means that Vollert is offering low maintenance and low costs overall.
Loading advantages with the next-generation shunting robot include:
  • cost-effective and uncomplicated loading and shunting operation in comparison with traditional locomotives;
  • modular design enables varied uses from the metal industry through to the petrochemicals industry and different applications;
  • the modular design requires minimal maintenance and repair;
  • the product configuration allows for additional individual items e.g. pneumatics; and
  • transport charges are lower due to the optimum use of the wagon’s capacity.