An increase in over-sized cargo and the need to handle this as safely as possible is steadily increasing demand for overheight frames.
SECTOR ANALYSIS: ‘OUT OF THE BOX OPERATIONS BOOST OVERHEIGHT FRAME USE
Overheight frames have been designed to improve productivity, speed up operations and significantly increase the safety of stevedores when handling open top containers, flat racks and over-sized cargo in general.
Rafael Moragón, General Manager, Tec Container, confirms: “Overheight frame use has definitely increased in container terminals. The reason is that safety is a priority in ports and when safety is a priority you cannot permit the use of chains or other lifting apparatus.”
Added to this, as Moragón says, an increasing number of container terminals are accepting over-sized cargo and “they have to be ready for this kind of ‘out of the box’ operation with the proper equipment”.
A key trend within the sector is the rise of the fully automatic overheight frame, which benefits spanning the safer handling of goods, greater efficiency and minimum downtime for maintenance. The company reviews below highlight this sectore growing product offering.
There is a growing priority for manufacturers to provide a lightweight construction for overheight systems, thus allowing a maximum payload capacity.
ELECTRIC, AUTOMATIC, SAFE AND SMART SOLUTIONS
Bromma: Spreader manufacturer Bromma says that its OSR45 is a telescoping overheight frame that provides “automatic, fast and safe handling combined with low maintenance time and costs”. OSR45 can be delivered in a 20-foot container. OSR45 is an automatic telescopic 20-to-45-foot overheight frame to be used together with different Bromma or OEM parent spreaders in cranes, reachstackers or straddle carriers for safer and faster lo-lo -handling of flats, bolsters, ISO containers or overheight containers (with cargo extending up to 2500 mm above the corner pockets). The OSR45 Overheight Frame is attached under any parent spreader with a ISO standard base measure and equipped with matching overheight frame lifting lugs. The cargo is lifted by the twistlocks of the spreader, which act as extended legs to the spreader. Bromma states this means a “much faster and safer” handling of goods compared to using chains. As the spreader telescopes, the overheight frame telescopes simultaneously, allowing the unit to handle 20-, 30-, 40- and 45-foot containers with overheight cargo. The OSR45 Overheight Frame is mechanically operated and requires no power supply or hydraulics.
SHT-Lifting: SHT-Lifting says that its automated overheight frames were a “world-first” when introduced to the market and have been designed for “rough” operating conditions. The company, which has been in business for 20 years, offers a fixed automatic SHT Overheight Frame (OHF) / Overheight Spreader and a Telescopic Overheight Frame (TOF). The company explains that its overheight frame system is supplied solely by the torque of the master spreaders’ twistlocks and can be handled as a universal container. The telescopic frame is extended by the force of the spreaders. A focus on safety means that the movement of the twistlocks is only possible if they are correctly aligned, while all four safety pins have to be pushed in simultaneously. Manual emergency operation without spreaders is possible for all of the twistlocks together or each one separately
Timars: Highlighting the growing trend for terminals to electrify their equipment to meet green and energy efficiency goals, Timars offers a fully electric overheight frame spreader, Timars OHE. Operated by an internal 24V system, the frame is equipped with a smart power saving system which means that it will not drain the batteries during normal use and is able to keep loaded purely by solar panels. Timars, a Swedish manufacturer and supplier of port equipment, says that safety is a major focus, and therefore its solution offers a range of built-in safety features. Timars elaborates: “The Timars OHE frame is an intelligent tool that helps the operator to take control of some possible external errors, such as: parts that partly block the inside of the corner casting; shew corner castings and the frame resting on one or several twistlocks.” Safety systems include: a safety twistlock blocking system, whereby landing probes prevent the overheight frame from locking the twistlocks unless the frame is landed correctly. Each landing probe is verified by an inductive sensor (IFM). There is also a Safety Torque Limitation system, whereby if one or more twistlocks are prevented from locking, the twistlock will go back to the original position. A Safety Twistlocks Emergency System means that each twistlock can, when the frame is resting on its goods, be manually turned by hand, or if slightly jammed by a standard tool.
The Timars OHE-frame has two short side profiles and one centre beam that are bolted together and are telescopic from 20ft up to 45ft (40ft is pre-set). The body has gone through Finite Element Analysis to optimise the construction to make it “strong but yet light”, said Timars. The OHE frame can be equipped with a modem for wireless communication with port engineers (or to Timars). Benefits include being able to access information about condition of the batteries, number of TEU handled, time in operation and error messages.
Tec Container: Founded in 1976, Tec Container provides lifting solutions to the port industry and has produced around 500 overheight frames during the last 25 years. The company offers four overheight frames, with its most advanced frame the fully electric BA-030E, which is recommended for when oversized load traffic is intense. Tec Container reports that it has sold 350 of its fully automatic and electric BA-030E frames, since it first entered the market back in 2009. The BA-030E is a fully automatic attachment for spreaders designed for handling oversized containers, flat racks and platforms. This model is universal and compatible with any ISO spreader. The twistlocks are locked and unlocked automatically by means of a fully electric mechanism. Its recharge system features four solar panels. Highlighting the benefits, Tec Container underlines: “Thanks to its low power consumption, it has unlimited hours of continuous autonomous operation.” It is equipped with a Wi-Fi connection module, allowing operators to know, in real time, about parameters including sensor lights and battery levels, and it enables the twistlocks, night mode and emergency shutdown to be activated remotely.
In February 2019, Tec Container supplied eight BA-030E5T overheight frames to Terminals I and II operated by DP World in Jebel Ali – Dubai. This comes on the back of seven units supplied in 2014. The new models include improvements that the terminal proposed such as a double security pin, new temperature sensors and indicators on the battery level. Additionally, the units that have been working since 2014 in the terminal were updated to the new version of the V5 software, which allows greater efficiency in the use of energy.
Other overheight frames provided by Tec Container include: the BA-030R, a fully mechanical frame; the BA-030H, a fully mechanical and universal frame and the manual BA-030M.
