Konecranes and Fluidmesh Networks announce that they have joined forces and successfully carried out proof-of-concept testing of fully wireless communication for the Konecranes Automated RTG system. This breakthrough allows container terminal operators to roll out remote control and automation to RTGs in the container yard without running fiber or cable spools, with substantial savings in cost and time, the company said in its release.
Port and container terminal operators have been embracing automation to increase productivity and give better working conditions to their employees. Many of the newest and largest container terminals have been adopting some level of automation and support for remote operations: from ship-to-shore cranes, to horizontal transport, to automated stacking cranes. However, this has not been the case for RTGs, which are widely used in container terminals around the world. Much of the world’s RTG fleet is diesel-powered, and there have been limited options for automating RTGs given the fact that running cables to them is costly and often unpractical. Konecranes and Fluidmesh have been working closely to solve the connectivity challenge, creating a new opportunity for container terminal operators.
The automation solution for RTGs comes as part of the Konecranes ARTG 2.0 system update, which was in development for over two years with thousands of hours of field testing. Fluidmesh MPLS-based wireless technology has been used to guarantee low latency and high throughput to the RTGs for control and live-video data. The system has been designed to operate on licensed as well as unlicensed frequencies around the world, providing north of 99.95% uptime in real working conditions.
This cooperation with Fluidmesh is part of Konecranes’ path to port automation, where container terminals improve productivity and safety in manageable steps. From smart features up to full automation, the path can include supervised operation and remote operation to smoothly introduce the power of automation. The path to port automation applies to all container handling equipment brands. Full automation can be the final goal but it doesn’t have to be. Flexibility is the key.
About Konecranes
Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. In 2019, Group sales totaled EUR 3.33 billion. Including MHE-Demag, the Group has around 18,000 employees in 50 countries. Konecranes shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki.
About Fluidmesh Networks
Fluidmesh Networks is an MIT spinoff and leader in wireless systems for security, industrial and mission-critical applications. Operating on unlicensed and licensed frequencies, Fluidmesh employs an MPLS-based standard and can support mission-critical applications such as condition monitoring, SCADA, live-video, passenger WiFi, tele-remote operations and automation. Fluidmesh builds wireless backhaul infrastructure through point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, mesh, and mobility networks.