Major order for energy and data transmission in a new container terminal in Morocco

New motor driven cable reel generation SMART drive for supplying 32 automatic stacking cranes for Hans Künz GmbH at APM Terminals Tangier.

July 2017. On June 28, 2017, Hans Künz GmbH, a specialist supplier of container cranes and Conductix-Wampfler, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of systems for energy and data transmission to mobile consumers, formally signed a major order at TOC Europe. The parties have agreed to keep the value of the order confidential. Künz is supplying 32 automatic stacking cranes (ASCs) for a new terminal of the Dutch port operator APM Terminals at the container port in Tangier, Morocco. Conductix-Wampfler’s new High Dynamic SMART Drive motor driven cable reels will guarantee smooth supplies of energy and data for the ASCs. “We are very excited about this prestigious project,” emphasizes Dinu Solomon, Conductix-Wampfler’s Sales Director for Germany and Austria. “Above all, Künz was won over by the newly developed technology, the overall concept presented, and our strong emphasis on service.”

The project will see the extensive use of Conductix-Wampfler’s High Dynamic SMART Drive motor driven cable reels, which were specifically designed for highly dynamic crane applications. “Particularly in the field of ASCs, the requirements for travel and center-feed crossing speeds and for acceleration are becoming more demanding – the system limitations with regard to maximum cable loads are approaching,” according to Solomon. The time is ripe for the new generation of motor driven cable reels.

Improved effectiveness, energy efficiency, and durability

Conductix-Wampfler High Dynamic SMART Drive motor driven cable reels are impressive for their optimized spools with the lowest possible inertia, their unique and sophisticated control software, and the newly developed HD gearboxes, which are available in three sizes, each with more than 20 different gear ratios. Together, these components make it possible to optimize drive design, reduce cable loading, and increase energy efficiency. Depending on requirements, components of the modular High Dynamic SMART Drive system are selected using a specially developed design tool to provide optimized solutions for our customers and their applications.

In the case of Hans Künz, Conductix-Wampfler is supplying the SMART drive HD20 VFD variant, including SEW motors with integrated frequency-inverter control. “This enables an operation in Tangier with minimized cable pull and temperature fluctuations between –10°C and +45°C (14–113°F), with acceleration rates of 0.35 m/s and at speeds of up to 210 m/min,” explains Solomon. With a quay length of 2,000 meters, from 2019 the terminal will be able to cater for the new generation of ultra large container ships (ULCSs) with capacities of up to 20,000 TEU, increasing the total capacity of the port in Tangier to 9 million TEU. The container-stacking area of the terminal is divided into 16 stacking blocks. Each will have two fully automated ASCs supplied by Künz.

With this large order from Hans Künz GmbH, Conductix-Wampfler is confirming its role as a major global system partner in the container-handling market.