Checker device for container inspections

The Hyster® Checker Device, developed in cooperation with depot operator Hamburg Container Service GmbH (HCS), allows containers to be firmly locked in place at a height of 1.9m allowing the containers to be checked thoroughly for damage from all sides.

Dr Roland Karnbach, Managing Director of HCS, said: “This cuts out a stage from the procedure and saves time, which significantly increases the efficiency of our operation. The only way for us to stay competitive is by systematically optimising all costs.”

It was on Dr Karnbach’s suggestion that Hyster set about designing the new retaining device for containers. The Hyster Special Engineering Department (SPED) in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, developed the innovative solution for empty container handler inspections in under two years.

The first two H22XM-12EC empty container handlers with checker devices have already been delivered to HCS.

The fuel savings and optimised productivity are really paying off for HCS. Around 500 containers arrive at the company’s site near the port of Hamburg every day. They are then delivered directly to HCS on trucks, trains and ships from six o’clock in the morning onwards. The Hyster empty container handlers then take over the handling of the containers within the depot.

HCS’s three storage areas have a total capacity of over 13,000 teu, almost enough to fill a large containership. As soon as they arrive, the empty containers are visually inspected by the checkers and examined for damage.

If repairs or cleaning are required, this can be more accurately assessed by the checker directly at the storage site, using the empty container handler fitted with the checker device. Minor faults, such as damage to the doors or the interior, are then repaired immediately on site, or the container is transported to one of two repair zones.

HCS is planning to fit all its container handlers with the new system in the near future.