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15/05/2013 10:08
Cargotec receives EUR 37 million order for MacGregor offshore cranes from Hornbeck Offshore Services
Cargotec's MacGregor has received EUR 37 million order from Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. to deliver four 250-tonne active heave-compensated (AHC) subsea cranes for four multi-purpose supply vessels (MPSV). The cranes will be delivered between fourth quarter 2014 and third quarter 2015. The order is booked in the second quarter 2013 order intake.

""MPSVs are specialized vessels that are principally used to support complex deepwater subsea construction, installation, maintenance, repair and other sophisticated operations,"" says Frode Grøvan, Sales and Marketing Director for MacGregor Advanced Load Handling. ""We are pleased that Hornbeck Offshore opted MacGregor's advanced 250-tonne AHC subsea cranes with operational capability at depths of 3700m suitable for ultra-deepwater operations.
17/04/2013 13:55
Cargotec's Kalmar gains another large port equipment order from Venezuela
Cargotec's Kalmar has secured a large order for 15 Kalmar E-One² rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes from Bolivariana de Puertos (Bolipuertos), S.A through construction contractor Teixeira Duarte, part of the consortium Consorcio TD-Mota-Proyecto Puerto de la Guaira, in Venezuela. The deal follows an order for Kalmar port equipment received earlier in March from Bolipuertos.

The equipment of this latest order is destined to be delivered to Bolipuerto's La Guaira location during the first half of 2014. The value of the order is approximately EUR 20 million.

Ingo Erhardt, Vice President, Head of South America at Kalmar said: ""This is another important order for Kalmar in Venezuela within a short period of time. I am very proud of the trusted relationship we have built with our customers and the continued success we have delivered in the market throughout the years. In 2012 we invited key people from Bolipuertos to visit various terminals in Brazil where Kalmar equipment was in operation. Our customer had the opportunity to conduct a thorough comparison and concluded that Kalmar RTGs provided the best solution to meet their operational needs.""

Purchased along with an extensive stock of spare parts, the 41-tonne capacity RTG cranes have a lift height of 1 over 5 and a span of 6 + 1 for excellent productivity. The order includes also Kalmar SmartPort process automation solution SmartRail providing automated gantry steering for rubber tyred gantry cranes, and SmartFleet, which helps maintenance operations to more effectively support terminal equipment. Kalmar will also be conducting specialist training for the customer's operators and maintenance personnel.
03/04/2013 08:13
Cargotec's Kalmar gains large port equipment order from Venezuela
Cargotec's Kalmar has secured a large order for port equipment to Venezuela's government-owned port operator Bolivariana de Puertos (Bolipuertos), S.A. The order is one of the largest single port equipment contracts to be delivered to Bolipuertos by Kalmar and reflects the operator's rapid expansion in container and industrial handling applications at its Puerto Cabello and La Guaira locations. The parties have agreed not to disclose the exact value of the order.

The portfolio of equipment, which is scheduled for delivery starting May 2013, includes 30 Kalmar reachstackers, four empty container handlers, eight heavy forklifts, nine light forklifts, seven heavy terminal tractors, 41 medium terminal tractors and one zero emission rubber-tyred gantry crane.

Ingo Erhardt, Vice President, Head of South America at Kalmar commented: ""We are delighted that Bolipuertos have again selected Kalmar as their preferred partner with such a large equipment order. Kalmar's dedicated manufacturing centres around the globe are able to respond by fulfilling this extensive order within a short time scale. It also reflects the trusted relationship we have developed over the years through providing innovative technological solutions and excellent service. Last year, for example, we created a dedicated service team, based in Brazil, which can quickly respond to Bolipuertos' machine service needs across their various port and terminal locations.""

Venezuelan government is investing in its two main non petroleum export ports Puerto Cabello and La Guaira to respond to the increasing efficiency and capacity demands for cargo handling. Once the Puerto Cabello expansion project is finished, the port will have an annual capacity of 700,000 containers while La Guardia, the country's second largest container port, will handle 600,000 TEUs. Kalmar's container handling equipment will be delivered at both of these ports.
18/02/2013 10:35
Kalmar wins large order for automatic stacking cranes from ECT in the Netherlands
Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has signed an order for 11 automatic stacking cranes with Europe Container Terminals (ECT) in the Netherlands. The order is part of ECT's investment programme, which aims at further modernising its Delta Terminal at Maasvlakte in Rotterdam. The cranes will be delivered during 2014 and they will replace part of the existing automatic stacking cranes that have been in operation since the early 1990s. The order has been booked into Cargotec's 2013 first quarter order intake.

""This order builds on the long-term partnership between the companies as well as on the decades of Kalmar automated container handling expertise. The crane design has evolved a lot over the years and the latest models will be fitted with the most advanced technological solutions, electrical system and design features that will make the cranes even more reliable, productive and environmentally friendly,"" says Rene Kleiss, Vice President at Kalmar.

ECT Delta Terminal is the first fully automated terminal in the world. Over the past 25 years Kalmar and Nelcon, a company acquired by Kalmar in 2001, have delivered over 100 automatic stacking cranes to ECT.
18/02/2013 07:54
Fulton Launches New Range of Horizontal Firetube Boilers
In response to demand for boilers with capacities greater than the 4,787 kg/h of its RBC range, Fulton Limited is launching the FB range of rugged, robust and reliable horizontal firetube boilers in Europe. The introduction means that Fulton can now offer customers a range of traditional three-pass, wetback firetube boilers that can be configured for gas, oil or dual-fuel installations and for either steam or hot water applications.

Commenting on the launch of the new horizontal firetube range, Fulton’s sales and marketing manager Carl Knight says: “The FB range is ideal for a variety of applications including large-scale laundries that currently rely on Fulton horizontal boilers to provide a steady supply of steam for ironers, presses, washers and tunnels; as well as companies requiring steam or hot water for space heating; food, plastics and chemical processing; and pharmaceutical and bio-fuel production.”

The eight boilers in Fulton’s new highly-efficient FB range include two FB-S models with outputs of 4,699 kg/h and 6,266 kg/h and operating pressures of 12.8 barg, and six FB-C models with steam outputs from 7,810 kg/h to 25,000 kg/h at 10.34 barg. All models can deliver up to 20 barg on demand.

All boilers have a large steam disengagement area making them an ideal choice for low pressure steam applications; and fully modulating burners provide optimum performance to meet varying load demand. Compared to conventional controls, the microprocessor-based burner control system in Fulton’s FB range delivers improved functionality including automatic burner sequencing, system status function, system or self diagnostics and trouble shooting.

All models feature high-density insulation for very low heat loss; a corrugated furnace that maximises boiler efficiency and longevity while minimising thermal stress; an exhaust vent conveniently located at the back of the boiler; and a hand-welded assembly. In addition, the high-mass pressure vessels are covered by a three year warranty.

Options include a five year warranty on the pressure vessel; automotive feed water and condensate return systems; and a Fulton-designed and manufactured flue-gas economiser to improve boiler efficiency and save energy.
24/01/2013 12:46
Alfa Laval wins SEK 55 million natural gas order in the U.S
Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has won yet another large order to supply compact heat exchangers to a Liquid Natural Gas plant (LNG), this time for processing of shale gas in the U.S. The order, booked in the Energy & Environment segment, is worth approximately SEK 55 million and delivery is scheduled for 2013.

The Alfa Laval compact heat exchangers will be used in a new, major gas processing facility – for shale gas – in the U.S. where they will recover and reuse heat in the gas cleaning process, thereby resulting in an energy-efficient process.

“This is our second large order, within a short period of time, from the growing gas sector. The order confirms once again that we meet the requirements from the major players in the oil and gas industry, both in terms of product performance and process knowledge”, says Lars Renström, President and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group.
23/01/2013 08:05
Kalmar secures large order for 12 all-electric RTGs for PCT Greece
Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has signed a large order for twelve all-electric rubber tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) to Piraeus Container Terminal (PCT) SA in Greece. The cranes, scheduled for delivery in late 2013, will facilitate the port's continued expansion, with capacities planned to increase from 2.6 MTEU to 3.1 MTEU per year. The order has been booked into Cargotec's 2012 fourth quarter order intake.

PCT, operating in Greece since 2009, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of COSCO Pacific Limited, a world-leading container terminal operator. This latest order further consolidates Kalmar's long term partnership with the terminal, as Mr. Li, Deputy General Manager of PCT confirmed: ""Once we install the 12 RTGs from Kalmar, the stacking capacity of our terminal will increase by 30%, and we believe that our terminal will achieve reduced operating costs with increasing throughputs, by turning to the advanced technological solutions Kalmar has consistently delivered, ultimately gaining higher reputation.""

""We currently operate with Kalmar straddle carriers, reachstackers, forklift trucks, empty container handlers and terminal tractors. The latest Kalmar E-One2 Zero Emission RTGs, fitted with SmartRail, an automatic gantry steering system, offer an exceptional solution to our stringent requirements for higher capacity, reduced carbon emissions, lower costs of ownership and safer operation around the yard. The Kalmar E-One2 Zero Emission RTG applies new technologies without compromising container terminal productivity, reliability or flexibility, which we consider to be tremendous achievements,"" Mr. Li concluded.

The Kalmar E-One2 RTGs have each a 41 ton SWL capacity and also benefit from zero emissions, through incorporating a cable reel which provides an electric power system that eliminates all diesel emissions, engine noise and the use of hydraulic oils.
14/01/2013 12:21
MacGregor wins electric crane contract for PIL's four new container vessels
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured an order from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd, in China, for 16 variable frequency drive (VFD) electric cranes. They have been specified for four 3,900 TEU container vessels being constructed for Singapore-based Pacific International Lines (PIL). The order was booked to the fourth quarter 2012 order intake. Delivery of the first ship set is planned for the end of October 2013; the other three are scheduled for delivery during the first half of 2014.

""MacGregor electric cranes are the ideal choice for these new ships,"" says Jonas Hägglund, Sales Manager, MacGregor Cranes. ""In comparison to hydraulic equivalents, our VFD cranes offer 30-35 per cent less power consumption, which results in lower running costs and lower environmental impact. Furthermore, MacGregor electric cranes offer an excellent positioning performance of containers and cargo which will shorten the loading/unloading time. They also feature low noise levels, making them an excellent choice in environmentally-sensitive areas.

""Each MacGregor crane unit is tested electrically and mechanically before delivery, which simplifies installation for the shipbuilder,"" adds Mr Hägglund.

Each four-crane ship set comprises three GLE4827/MLC/2744-2 cranes, each with an SWL of 48 tonnes at 27 meters outreach down to SWL 27 tons at 44 meters outreach following a maximum load curve and one GLE3528.5-2 crane with an SWL of 35 tonnes and an outreach of 28.5m.
09/01/2013 07:25
Kalmar delivers three all-electric RTGs to Concor, India
Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has signed a contract with Container Corporation of India ltd (Concor) to supply three Kalmar E-One2 rubber tyred gantry cranes to Concor's Tuglakabad terminal in New Delhi. The order is the first between Concor and Kalmar and it has been booked to Cargotec's 2012 fourth quarter order intake. The cranes will be delivered during the last quarter of 2013.

Concor is the market leader in India with over 62 inland container deports and container freight stations. The company was looking for the most technologically advanced and environmentally safe RTGs. ""Kalmar's fully electrical RTGs, combined with local support, convinced Concor to choose Kalmar as a supplier. We are proud to have been selected in an open bidding, and established a new customer relationship with such a distinguished player as Concor,"" says Jonne Hankimaa, Managing Director, Cargotec India.

The environmentally friendly, all-electric Kalmar E-One2 RTGs have quickly become the industry's favourite. The Kalmar E-One2 RTGs have grown into a family of products, containing the E-One2 all electric RTG that uses a minimum of energy, the E-One2 Hybrid RTG that allows regenerative energy use, the E-One2 SmartPower RTG with an intelligent power management system. Kalmar E-One2 Zero Emission RTG eliminates all diesel emissions, engine noise and hydraulic oils.
07/01/2013 08:34
Alfa Laval acquires leading provider of niche heat transfer products to the North American natural gas market
Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has acquired the US-based company Air Cooled Exchangers, LLC (ACE), a leading manufacturer of custom-engineered air-cooled heat exchangers, used to cool air, natural gas, oil and water in the natural gas market as well as other energy-related end markets.

Lars Renström, President and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group, comments: “The acquisition of ACE brings a new product range into our heat transfer offering, at a time when demand for air-cooled heat exchangers is accelerating – especially in the natural gas industry. Together, Alfa Laval’s overall position is further strengthened, and we’re even better positioned to serve the energy-related industries.”

ACE is expected to generate sales of approximately SEK 350 million in 2012, with profitability well above the average for the Alfa Laval Group. The intention is to integrate Air Cooled Exchangers, LLC into Alfa Laval’s Energy & Environment segment, within the Process Technology division. The company was acquired on December 31st 2012.
20/12/2012 14:23
Alfa Laval wins groundbreaking marine environmental order from MAN Diesel & Turbo
Alfa Laval – a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has won the first commercial order from MAN Diesel & Turbo to supply Alfa Laval PureNOx water treatment systems to be integrated in a process to reduce harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission onboard vessels. The order is worth approximately SEK 7 million and delivery is scheduled for 2013.

“This is a groundbreaking order in many ways; It is our first commercial order for Alfa Laval PureNOx water treatment system and it will be integrated in a new solution on the market which fully complies with the upcoming regulations – and the order is from the world’s leading provider of low speed diesel engines”, says Lars Renström, President and CEO of the Alfa Laval Group. “The order also confirms our position as an innovative supplier of marine environmental solutions.”

The Alfa Laval PureNOx Water treatment system (WTS) is developed together with MAN Diesel & Turbo to be integrated in their Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) process to reduce the NOx emissions from the main engines of the ships. The Alfa Laval WTS will clean the circulating scrubber water to protect the EGR system – and also clean the excess water formed during combustion – before it is being discharged overboard.

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) convention for the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) will come into force in 2016 demanding NOx emissions to be reduced by 80 percent relative to 2000 levels – and it will affect newly built ships sailing in the special Emission Control Areas (ECAs) defined for NOx (as per today defined as large parts of the coastline of Canada and the US).

18/12/2012 10:15
Cargotec's Kalmar SmartPort automation is key at Global Container Terminals' quay
Global Container Terminals in New Jersey plans to implement Cargotec's Kalmar SmartQuay solution for six quay cranes as part of an ongoing automation project. The SmartQuay solution improves productivity during vessel operations and is delivered in partnership with APS Technology Group, part of the Kalmar SmartPort Alliance. The system automates data capture for all container movements, automatically builds ship plans and provides tools for managing traffic at the quay. The crane solution utilizes optical character recognition (OCR) technology to automate data capture for all container movements. Global Container Terminals is also implementing APS MatchMakerTM solution to automatically associate containers to terminal-owned trucks during handoff, and the APS X-ClerkTM exception handling system.

The crane OCR solution automatically identifies containers loaded and discharged by the quay cranes to improve data accuracy, throughput and safety, while decreasing overall operating costs. The implementation includes in-flight OCR cameras between the cranes' legs and in the back reach, in addition to portal beam cameras for automated door direction detection. Global Container Terminal is also using the APS MatchMakerTM system to automatically associate containers to terminal-owned trucks during handoff, allowing for automated work assignment and confirmation without manual intervention.

""Global Container Terminals was looking for a solution that would maximize the efficiency, safety and data quality of quay operations for our terminal. Cargotec and APS Technologies will enable us to provide a better service to our customer through the use of these advanced solutions."" said Richard Ceci, Vice President, Information Technology for Global Container Terminals. ""We chose Cargotec and APS Technology for their proven experience in crane automation and optical character recognition solutions.""

Global Container Terminals (GCT) is one of the top four container terminal operators in North America and enjoys stable, long-term relationships with the majority of the world's largest container lines. To support the growing capacity needs of its customers, GCT has several expansion projects underway along with the implementation of solutions to help improve terminal safety and to maximize efficiencies.
17/12/2012 13:23
Liebherr to present innovative RL-K 7500 subsea crane with knuckle boom in Rostock, Germany
During customer days at the production plant in Rostock in January 2013 Liebherr is going to present its new subsea crane, type RL-K 7500. With this new knuckle boom crane the company extends its range of offshore cranes and offers its customers a convenient solution for subsea operations.

The RL-K 7500 features impressive technical figures, being able to lift up to 260 t in the air and handle loads down to a water depth of 3,400 m. The maximum rope diameter is 100 mm, the maximum overturning moment of the crane is 75.000 kNm. Depending on customers’ specifications, the boom configuration allows for working radii of up to 50 m.

One vital advantage of the crane’s knuckle boom is that loads can be lowered to the water surface with a short rope length between crane boom head and water line. Furthermore, the crane is equipped with a number of state-of-the-art hydraulic, electric and electronic features and functions, some of which were submitted for patent by Liebherr, e.g. the Active Heave Compensation system, Pactronic and the innovative winch system.

Active Heave Compensation (AHC)
Based on sophisticated Motion Reference Units (MRUs), i.e. sensors designed in-house to recognise and predict the vessel’s motion, the AHC system compensates this movement. In order to meet the high power demands of the AHC the innovative hydraulic hybrid drive system Pactronic, originally developed for Liebherr mobile harbour cranes, was specially adapted for subsea applications. Pactronic is characterized by an additional energy storage device. A hydraulic accumulator supplements the fluid pump in delivering power to the system. It serves as a pressure storage reservoir incorporating a gas in conjunction with a hydraulic fluid. Energy is stored in this compressed gas to be released upon demand.

The revolutionary AHC system is fully integrated in the proven Litronic system. One of its most important features is its self-learning function. It automatically recognises the vessel’s motion and adjusts itself according to this information. Hence, the system does not need to be manually adjusted and is independent of weather conditions.

Up to 70 % of the power required to operate the AHC system is currently obtained from Pactronic. This means that the hybrid drive system provides a maximum power of almost 4 MW.

Prior to its first delivery all functions of the AHC system were tested and optimised on a specially developed test stand at Liebherr-Werk Nenzing. In doing so, potential risks of the system were reduced, thus lowering the costs.

Innovative winch technology
In order to ensure optimised rope guidance, the crane has a patented horizontal winch shifting system. It guarantees the ideal fleet angle of the rope under all load conditions in both hoisting and lowering operations.

A further innovation is the vertical winch frame lifting system, which is also patented. Two hydraulic cylinders allow for the adjustment of the lifting height without moving the drum of the hoisting winch. Due to this innovative design of the winch unit, which is based on many years of experience and profound knowledge of Liebherr crane technology, wear of the main wire rope is minimised, thus significantly extending its service life and reducing life cycle costs.

Easy adjustment to customer requirements regarding load and water depth can be made by exchanging the lebus shells and by adapting the width of the winch to the actual rope diameter. Consequently, the customer is not obliged to change the complete hoisting winch.

With the RL-K 7500 Liebherr offers an innovative crane concept for subsea applications. The RL-K 7500 can be rated both as general purpose offshore crane and as heavy lift crane, being able to hoist loads weighing up to 300 t. It can thus be installed on board drill vessels and also heavy lift vessels.

The RL-K 7500 is calculated and built according to the latest rules and regulations. The knuckle boom of the subsea crane is designed for use in hazardous areas. Upon special customer request the crane can additionally be equipped with an Arctic temperature package allowing for operation at temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius.
06/12/2012 12:42
Danish deal sees composite hose manufacturer Dantec ramp up exports drive
Merseyside composite hose manufacturer Dantec is announcing a new deal with a Danish distributor as part of its campaign to ramp up exports.

Moreton based Dantec makes composite hose for the transfer of petrol, oil products, chemicals and liquefied gases. The new deal with Fontenay A/S brings the total number of distributors Dantec works with to 49 with 41 being overseas. The distributor network plays a major role in the firm’s exports drive which sees 70pc of its £5.6m turnover coming from abroad.

Dantec managing director John Laidlaw said the new deal with Fontenay A/S will be a ‘building block’ towards the firm’s objective to grow turnover to £6.5m in the next financial year. He said the contract will focus on selling Dantec’s Danoil hoses to the Danish market. The Danoil hoses are used to transfer petrol and oil based products between fuel trucks and storage tanks in filling stations or storage terminals.

Mr Laidlaw said the tough European market means it is vital to have the right distributors in place. “Fontenay is a fuel industry specialist,” he said. “The firm only promotes a select range of products which enables it to focus on us, our key selling points and our target customers. Fontenay has excellent contacts and real depth of expertise in the petrochemical sector in Denmark. The EU region is struggling with the recession and sales are slower as a result. So it is vital to find dynamic distributors who can make things happen.”

Fontenay CEO, Uffe de Fontenay said the firm has wanted to work with Dantec for some time. “Fontenay has built its business on supplying the best components and equipment to Denmark’s oil, chemical and pharmaceutical industries,” he said. “Dantec is just the kind of firm we want to work with because its products are of such a high calibre. Dantec’s composite hoses are very well designed, engineered and rigorously tested for durability and safety. They are the best in their class and I am confident they can make a big impact in Denmark.”

Mr Laidlaw said he estimates that the global composite hose sector is worth around £45m and Dantec is only ‘scratching the surface’ of the market. “We are working our socks off right now promoting the business overseas,” he said. “Europe is only one element of our sales drive. We have just come back from South Korea where we are making great contacts in an effort to crack its shipbuilding market, as well as its tanker operator and tank terminal sectors. We are also due to stage a reception in the British Embassy in Singapore in December. We will use this as a platform to promote Dantec’s sales drive in South East Asia and we are expecting guests from Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. The region has huge potential for us as a hub of global transport and shipping.”

In October Dantec also announced a major campaign to target the United States after it partnered with Texas based agent True North Works. Dantec employs 48 people at its Moreton site.
05/12/2012 07:40
EcoCLab - fully automatic VDA 19 compliant in-line cleanliness testing
Ever since the introduction of VDA 19, the task of monitoring technical part cleanliness has grown vastly in importance – not only in the automotive industry. One major drawback of cleanliness testing used to lie in the associated time-consuming and costly laboratory methods. With its new EcoCLab system, Dürr Ecoclean now offers an automated in-line capability for inspecting and documenting particulate cleanliness in compliance with VDA 19. Thanks to this technology, results are obtained much faster and process reliability increases significantly.

Particulate cleanliness constitutes one of the most important quality factors today, both in the automotive industry and in numerous other manufacturing sectors. However, checking and documenting this so-called technical cleanliness presents a challenge to OEM and tiered suppliers alike. Quite often the particles specified as critical are found on interior part surfaces, e.g., inside the oil passages of a crankcase, so that tests relying on direct measurement methods are not feasible. In accordance with VDA 19 or ISO 16232, residual contamination analyses are then carried out in a separate laboratory. Here, particulate contaminants are first extracted from the part by means of a fluid before being collected on a filter and subsequently analyzed to customer specifications. This process, being decoupled as it were from the manufacturing environment, involves a time delay in the quality control loop which harbors the risk that already assembled parts may have to be re-cleaned or parts already shipped may need to be recalled at a high expenditure of time and cost. Users have therefore been calling for an in-line testing capability in carrying out VDA 19 compliant residual contamination monitoring. And this is exactly what Dürr Ecoclean's innovative EcoCLab provides – as the ""first ever"" system to perform testing of critical areas on individual parts (e.g., crankcases) directly in the manufacturing line.

Fully automatic check and documentation in just a few minutes' time
For the cleanliness test, the part to be analyzed is conveyed – after drying – to the extraction unit of the compact in-line cleanliness laboratory. Here the areas to be examined – e.g., the oil passages – are sealed off and flushed with a defined volume of fluid. The particle load picked up is then extracted from the fluid by means of a filter. The particulate matter collected on the filter is recorded and documented by an integrated camera system. Next, both particle sizes and amounts are analyzed. This makes it possible to judge both the total amount of particles and their size distribution. For instance, it can be certified that no particles larger than 600 µm are present in an oil passage. These findings are stored in the system's memory and can be issued in hardcopy form via an integrated printer.

The automated cleanliness check takes only a few minutes to complete. The EcoCLab software and analytical electronics are easy to adapt to the specifications for diverse parts and other customer-defined requirements.

Significant increase in process reliability
The EcoCLab delivers results more quickly than conventional laboratory tests, but that is not all. Testing can also be carried out for a substantially more close-meshed monitoring scheme. Non-compliance with a defined residual contamination level will thus be discovered much earlier and can be remedied before expensive re-working or recall campaigns need to be launched.

At the same time, the continuous cleanliness tests can improve the scheduling and integration of fluid treatment activities in the production workflow. Sudden major deviations from standard conditions, e.g., due to a defective filter in the fluid treatment system, will likewise be detected much more quickly. Also, changes in the overall process – such as inadequate pre-cleaning of machined parts in the machine tool – will be discovered rapidly from the resulting increase in particle collection levels.

Compact modular design
The EcoCLab in-line testing system is of compact modular design. It can thus be integrated directly into the cleaning system or may be installed at any other point of the manufacturing process.
04/12/2012 14:45
Samskip Multimodal Container Logistics changes name into Samskip Multimodal
Samskip Multimodal Container Logistics has changed the official name into Samskip Multimodal, to stress that it has grown from being a pioneering container logistics provider into a world class multimodal transport and logistics solutions provider.

Samskip Multimodal is pleased to announce that we have changed our official name from “Samskip Multimodal Container Logistics” to simply “Samskip Multimodal”.

“Today our business is more logistics and more multimodal than ever with containers still being the workhorses of our equipment fleet”, as stated by Jens Holger Nielsen, CEO Samskip Multimodal.

“However, with this name change we want to stress that we have grown from being a pioneer in offering transport solutions by sea, rail, inland waterways and road into a world class multimodal transport and logistics solutions provider delivering predictability, reliability and cost efficiency to our customers and their supply chains”, Jens Holger Nielsen continued.

We also felt that frankly a shorter name had more appeal and is more natural. Samskip is a very strong brand; therefore our logo will not change but remain the same.
30/11/2012 13:58
Forth Ports Group invests in 14 new Kalmar straddle carriers
Cargotec has secured an order for 14 Kalmar straddle carriers from UK based Forth Ports as part of a major investment and upgrade programme at its London Container Terminal (LCT) at Tilbury.

Forth Ports is investing in substantial equipment and site upgrading to LCT to ensure customers continue to receive a first rate and enhanced service. It is also integrating LCT with the busy short-sea terminal, also located at Tilbury. Part of the investment plan is the purchase of 14 new Kalmar ESC 450W straddle carriers from Cargotec.

Stuart Wallace, Divisional Director of London Container Terminal at the Port of Tilbury, said: ""We are confident of delivering a highly efficient and positive experience for our customers. We are delighted to work with Kalmar on this straddle carrier deal, which is the first step of many in the modernisation and upgrading of LCT.""

LCT handles in excess of half a million containers per year and is the only UK port servicing both deep sea and short sea customers. LCT is located on the Thames and is a key shipping and distribution location with access to London and the South East.

Ismo Leppänen, Managing Director of Cargotec UK Ltd, said: ""We are pleased to be working again with the Forth Ports group, and in particular London Container Terminal, to deliver 14 new Kalmar straddle carriers, allowing the terminal to become totally integrated across its short sea and deep sea operations with regards to its straddle fleet. This delivery, scheduled for April next year, will further increase the number of Kalmar carriers at the terminal at what is an exciting development time for London Container Terminal.""

Kalmar ESC 450W straddle carrier's 7+ generation models combine high performance and productivity with low maintenance and operating costs. Designed with operators in mind, they deliver strong environmental benefits which can be further enhanced with hybrid operation. The machines are equipped with Kalmar's standard W-type front cabin complete for container handling with 4-high stacking and 50-tonne load capacity.
30/11/2012 13:12
Bangladesh shows oyster reef potential for coastal defence and food production
Royal HaskoningDHV, the Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries (University of Chittagong, Bangladesh), IMARES and LEI, both part of Wageningen UR, presented the first results of the ECOBAS pilot project in Bangladesh; oyster reefs are a good solution for sustainable coastal defence and aquatic food production. These reefs will contribute to improved safety for humans against coast erosion and flooding, and also deliver a sustainable source of aquatic food.

Notwithstanding many billions of euros that have been spent on water management over a very long time span, society is still confronted with major flooding, droughts and water quality problems. The classic approach is struggling with nature by constructing structures such as revetments or groynes. The question that arises is whether solely the use of pure hard-engineering solutions is sustainable. A concept that can be complementary to these hard-engineering solutions is the Building with Nature approach. Building with Nature uses the natural dynamics of the ecosystem to create flexible and sustainable solutions while enhancing nature values.

Building with Nature
The ECOBAS (Eco-engineering in Bangladesh) project is testing the technical, economical and sociological feasibility of the Building with Nature concept on the southeast coast of Bangladesh. In this concept, coastal defence is combined with the sustainable production of oysters. Shells like oysters naturally create three dimensional reefs, which influence the current and with that the erosion and sedimentation of the coastal area. This can diminish the maintenance costs for hard structures and enhance biodiversity. In the Netherlands small and large scale pilots with oyster reefs have been tested in the Oosterschelde and it showed that enhanced sedimentation occurred behind the reef.

On the southeast coast of Bangladesh local minority people collect oysters and other bivalves and gastropods from the intertidal area. Since only a part of the oyster reef can be harvested to ensure its continuity, it is therefore important to consider the way the oyster harvest is managed in order to prevent over-exploitation. Therefore, the local community needs to be aware of spat settlement, oyster growth and survival and the effects of the reef. The project shows that there are still a number of challenges related to the technical design and the management of the reef for the sustainable exploitation and sales of oysters.

The ECOBAS project is financed by the Dutch Partners for Water Programme. Besides contributing to safety and providing a source of food, oyster reefs can also stimulate mangrove growth by increased accretion and the stabilization of tidal flats. This is interesting because of the additional possibilities that mangroves offer for coast protection and other ecological and economic benefits.

Feasibility study
In the next phase (January 2013 – November 2014) the concept will be up-scaled. For this, structures will be constructed and installed along the coasts of Kutubdia and Maheshkhali Island. The technical, ecological and economic feasibility will be assessed based on the outcomes of the pilot project and presented in a workshop December 2014.
23/11/2012 15:05
Cargotec wins breakthrough Siwertell contract from the steel industry
Cargotec has secured a breakthrough contract for two large Siwertell coal unloaders from Formosa Petrochemical Corporation (FPC), part of the Formosa Plastics Group. The unloaders will be the largest that Cargotec has delivered so far and may start a trend that sees more steel plants using Siwertell machines for dedicated coal unloading.

The equipment will be delivered to Formosa Plastics Group's newly-built Ha Tinh steel plant in Vietnam's Son Duong Port during the last quarter of 2014. Each ST 940-DOB unloader will be feeding coal with a rated capacity of 2,400t/h.

""Siwertell systems can deliver huge cost savings - in the region of $2.5 to $3 million per year for this particular operator - in comparison to traditional systems, because ships will spend much less time at the unloading berth,"" says Per Karlsson, President for Bulk Handling Business Line. ""Until now the industry has been reluctant to invest in separate intake systems for coal and iron ore, however, savings on this scale cannot be ignored and we are confident that this order will start a trend that sees more steel plants using Siwertell machines for dedicated coal unloading.

""In a competitive international bidding process, we offered the customer the most efficient unloading system with a high through-ship capacity, which will deliver huge cost savings and also provide a clean, dust-free operating environment; all at a competitive price,"" notes Mr Karlsson.

The steel plant is owned by Formosa Plastics Group's daughter company Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation; its annual intake of coal is estimated to be about 7.8 million tonnes. The unloaders are expected to be operational by mid-2015 and will be erected on site with their main system components coming from Europe, and steel structures from Vietnam.