Bromma has received an order for 13 YSX40E (all electric) spreaders from the Port of Felixstowe. The spreaders will replace ageing equipment originally supplied by other vendors around 17 years ago. The order which will be commissioned in 2018 includes options for another 12 + 12 spreaders for delivery in 2019 and 2020.
The rigorous spreader specification which includes low height and weight and side shift means the operating parameters of the RTG’s are enhanced and maintained. The spreaders will be fitted with serial communication to the crane, load sensing technology, twin-twenty detection and height indication sensors. The spreaders are specified to be able to work on cranes adapted for automation in the future.
“We are extremely happy to receive this order from Port of Felixstowe. it emphasizes our strong position as a reliable supplier and business partner”, says Vikram Raman, VP Bromma EMEA.
The strategic plan – When to replace
The ship-to-shore crane spreader is considered to be the most abused piece of equipment in a container terminal. Yard crane spreaders are perhaps handled a little more gently but still operate in a very tough environment.
A good spreader maintenance program is essential in order to get maximum productivity out of the crane. The cost for maintenance and repair is expected to vary over time. During the first part of its life, all components are new, sensors and mechanical play are adjusted to the specification of the supplier and the maintenance cost should be limited to regular inspection and adjustments. As the years pass however the cost for maintenance will increase as wear parts shall be replaced, the inspection of the spreader need to be more thorough and the harsh environment may affect parts of the spreader including potential structural issues. The cost for maintenance and repair will increase the older the spreader gets.
The typical life length of a ship-to-shore spreader in a high throughput terminal is expected to be 10-15 years. The corresponding life length of a quay crane is probably in the range of 20-25 years. The point is that the crane life length is roughly twice that of the spreader or phrased in a different way: the crane will need two spreaders during its life span.
One of the sub-optimizations normally done is to push the use of the first spreader to its limits and beyond. When that is done, the maintenance cost during the last few years of use is likely to increase to “above standard” levels. There is also an increased risk of spreader and crane downtime. Based on the assumption that a new crane will come complete with a new spreader, there is a risk that the second spreader is “underutilized”, ie not used throughout its full life length. The capital cost will be the same but the running cost in terms of maintenance and repair will increase as a consequence of an unbalanced utilization of the two spreaders.
There is a financially sound argument to replace the spreader in a crane after half the cranes expected life span. This replacement point is not uniquely specified but can be fairly well estimated to indicate when to start planning for spreader replacement.
About Bromma
Bromma is the world leader in crane spreaders. In more than 50 years of continuous operations, Bromma has delivered crane spreaders to 500 terminals in 90 nations on 6 continents, and Bromma spreaders are in service today at 99 out of the world’s largest 100 container ports. Bromma is the industry market leader in ship-to-shore spreaders, mobile harbor crane spreaders, and yard crane spreaders. A pioneer in the container handling industry, Bromma is focused on lifting the productivity of its customers through more reliable spreaders, and Bromma’s industry-leading all-electric Greenline™ spreaders and recent Green Zone™ port productivity applications such as Roadmap™, Fleet Doctor™ and Work Order™ are part of this continuing effort.
Contact Information
Lars Meurling, Vice-President, Marketing, Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden
Email: lars.meurling@bromma.com; Phone: +468.620.0900
Therese Westerudd, Marketing Manager, Bromma, Stockholm, Sweden
Email: therese.westerudd@bromma.com; Phone: +468.620.0900