Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), is responsible for handling several million TEU at its four container terminals in just one quarter. With Container Terminal Altenwerder, HHLA says it operates one of the most productive and modern container handling facilities in the world.
The quay of the CTA offers space for four large container ships, which are loaded and unloaded from 14 container gantry cranes. Double-trolley container gantry cranes are used here. The main trolley takes over the transport from the ship to a platform, which is located in the middle of the bridge. From there, a second trolley — the gantry trolley — transports the container fully automatically onto one of the "Automated Guided Vehicles" (AGVs).
At that time in 2002, the energy supply to the trolleys of ship-to-shore cranes (STS) was usually still carried out using festoon systems, but designers wanted to break new ground here with e-chain® systems. They saw the old system at a disadvantage, as it was about 30% heavier than an e-chain® system due to the approx. 50% longer cable length and the higher weight per meter of the festoon cables.
For the new e-chain® system, the task was to ensure a large number of energy and signal cables in total to supply the gantry trolley, with a cable load of about 14 kilograms per meter. With a high turnover frequency and a 54-meter-long travel distance, the chain system was also exposed to high dynamics with speeds of up to 240m/min as well as constant weather loads, which also placed considerable demands on the permanently moving cables within the e-chain®.