In another example of the company’s lateral thinking the team is studying the deployment of the straddle carrier for other commodities with similar weights and measurements in other industries – steel slabs for example.
Riechers believes in the straddle carrier’s fundamental merit: “They improve gantry crane performance as the crane is able to discharge containers direct to the quay – a much quicker operation than having to put the containers onto trailers.” The new machines will have a maximum load of 60 tons which will enable them to handle two 30-ton reefers simultaneously.
He also points to additional flexibility in that the strad is able to stack and move containers around the terminal as and when required thus reducing the overall moves and risk of damage.
Riechers adds: “One of our major aims is to have a machine in which the lifecycle cost is reduced by 20 to 25%, not only with regard to the initial investment but also in total running costs.” He puts this down to the fact that his team has been able to start from scratch developing the products from the ground up.
Servicing is also very much part of the philosophy: “We believe that service is more than just spare parts management. It is a comprehensive concept focusing on the customer. His task is the fast and efficient handling of goods. We ensure that task is achieved by offering a complete service package related not only to our products, but all types of cranes and industrial trucks.”
