by Michael Jordan
Based on ideal conditions, the calculated production of today’s advanced super productive quay container cranes is 67 moves per hour while loading and unloading a 16 container-wide post-Panamax ship. In actual conditions, maximum production realized is limited to about 40 moves per hour. One reason the calculated crane production is so much higher than the real production is that the crane often waits for service. Effective crane design requires the designer to understand that the cranes are part of the terminal. This paper looks at some significant container crane design improvements that would allow super cranes to mesh with the terminal system.