LPR-2D with excellent reliability at HHLA Burchardkai Container Terminal

01 Jan 2011:The container transportation vehicles at the Burchardkai Container Terminal at the Port of Hamburg have been equipped with the Local Positioning Radar (LPR^®) from Symeo GmbH. The system has proven its excellent reliability under full operational stress. Symeo’s wireless sensor system LPR-2D is a comprehensive positioning system used to monitor the movement of all of the containers in the terminal and replaces an older system to achieve significant improvements in the container handling efficiency at the Burchardkai.

HHLA Burchardkai: Schematic view LPR position sensors

Picture: The Symeo LPR® technology facilitates comprehensive positioning throughout the terminal. (Click to enlarge)

The Burchardkai Container Terminal owned by Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is the largest and oldest operation of its kind at the Port of Hamburg. Twenty-seven ship-to-shore cranes load and unload up to 5,000 ships each year and, within the next few years, the handling capacity is expected to double thanks to the modern anchorage for large ships and the automated block storage system.

Picture: Twenty-seven crane bridges load and unload containers from 5,000 ships each year at the Burchardkai Container Terminal owned by Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA). (Click to enlarge)

Currently, around 110 straddle carriers and seven reach stackers are used to transport the containers around the terminal site, but the reach stackers work exclusively in the empty container area. The terminal operator is now planning has meanwhile equipped about half of the fleet of 6- to 12 m-high vehicles with LPR-2D systems in successive stages. The refurbishment was executed without any problems while operations continued.


Picture: All container transportation vehicles at the Burchardkai Container Terminal in the Port of Hamburg are gradually being equipped with the Local Positioning Radar (LPR^®) from Symeo GmbH. (Click to enlarge)	Picture: Antenna of the Symeo LPR® on one of around 110 straddle carriers at the Burchardkai Container Terminal in the Port of Hamburg. (Click to enlarge)

Clear advantages of the new LPR system

Symeo’s LPR-2D solution uses wireless technology, which enables it to work independently of weather and visibility conditions and means that it is not affected by dirt or dust. The new LPR system enables the operator to determine the precise position of all vehicles in all areas of the terminal, especially in transfer areas to the new automatic storage system. In addition, with the new system, the height of the vehicles plays no role in system operation. The old laser system was only able to process vehicles of the same height. Also, the laser devices were getting older and were increasingly causing maintenance and repair costs. The Symeo LPR-2D units have no moving parts, making them practically maintenance-free.

Transfer area to automatic storage system

Picture: LPR-2D is also used to determine the positions of the vehicles in the transfer area to the HHLA’s new automatic storage system (Click to enlarge)

In addition, one problem with the existing DGPS receivers was that the signals from the GPS satellites were shadowed by tall nearby structures such as container stacks, ships and, in particular, ship-to-shore cranes. For this reason, the system was unable to supply reliable GPS positioning data in the transfer area to the automatic storage area. Unlike the previous system, the Symeo LPR-2D system can securely cover even difficult areas, since the fixed transponders are suitably distributed across the entire terminal site.

LPR-2D has proven extremely reliable with zero defects

The LPR-2D system is now operational for more than one year, deployed in the container yard, the transfer area to the automatic storage area, the empty container storage area and on straddle carriers of different heights. It has fully met expectations in every area. System evaluation presented the operator with an availability of 99.2% and a positioning accuracy of up to ±20 cm.

In the second phase of the installation, the LPR-2D transponders are to be installed in the area under the ship-to-shore cranes. The Symeo system is the only solution on the market that is capable of fulfilling the positioning requirements with the required reliability and accuracy even in those critical areas.

Download: Symeo Success Story HHLA Burchardkai

Info-Box

Frame Contract with Rail Cargo Austria AG
02. May 2011: Rail Cargo Austria AG, a provider of fully integrated logistic services with hubs in...: more...

LPR-2D with excellent reliability at HHLA Burchardkai...
01 Jan 2011:The container transportation vehicles at the Burchardkai Container Terminal at the Port...: more...

RAIL CARGO AUSTRIA to fit container terminals with scalable...
20th May 2010: Rail Cargo Austria (RCA) has fitted their Wels container terminal with a complete...: more...