Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and a number of fellow German partners are developing a research project that demonstrates the handling of folding pins on container wagons using an autonomous mobile robotics system.
The initiative is part of the IHATEC “Pin handling mR” project in which HHLA and the Fraunhofer Centre for Maritime Logistics and Service (CML) are researching the automation of pin handling in rail processing, with support from the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMDV), which is part of work focused on innovative port technologies (IHATEC).
The existing process involves the pins that secure containers to train wagons having to be manually fastened before trains are loaded, with the installation of the pin amended by the size of the container. This is clearly a time-consuming process but can be replaced by a mobile robot that can operate the pins using a gripper arm.
HHLA notes that the specific software supporting the robotics activity is connected via an interface, which is expected to be developed “within two and a half years” and this will then ensure that the control centre can monitor and manage all pin handling activities.
HHLA is taking responsibility as overall coordinator for the project and will support it with its subsidiaries Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA), HHLA Sky, Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC), Metrans and Service Centre Altenwerder (SCA). Partner in the project, Fraunhofer CML, is leading the development and procurement of robotics hardware and software.
