Kalmar’s first ‘key’ to open auto interfaces

Having launched its Kalmar Key initiative back in September 2017, Kalmar this week used the TOC Europe platform to announce its publication of its first application key.

The key includes generic interface specifications, high-level business process descriptions to support integration, and access to the Kalmar Key partner forum and a software development kit.

The Cargotec unit said that the key “opens up Kalmar’s best-practice model for systems integration in terminals that follow the ‘AutoRTG with coupled manual horizontal transportation’ concept”.

Tommi Pettersson, vice president, software and automation development, Kalmar, said: “We believe that by sharing our application interfaces and integration models we can facilitate a healthy and open dialogue in our industry that will help speed up the pace of automation adoption and make implementation much smoother. Furthermore, customers will gain even greater flexibility in terms

of customisation possibilities, which will help them build complete automation solutions that are

exactly right for their business.”

Kalmar Key claims to be the terminal industry’s only automation platform with open interfaces, providing a common system architecture for building end-to-end, customised automation solutions using Kalmar’s Terminal Logistics System (TLS) as a base.

Kalmar stated aim is to “facilitate the adoption of container terminal automation and support the development of the entire industry”; publishing application interfaces moves it closer to achieving those goals.

Kalmar said that it will also open up the application-independent core software components of the Kalmar TLS, known as platform keys, for use by developers, which will allow customers to tailor their automation system with the help of a third-party partner. As an example, customers will, said Kalmar, be able to extend their system with any brand of equipment. The supplier will publish its first platform keys later this year.

Kalmar has also launched the Kalmar Key partner forum as a one-stop-shop for developers, customers and partners. The forum will host discussion forums, Q&A resources and document and software downloads.