Automated RTG Crane: The Future of Smart Container Terminal Operations

Under the tide of intelligent transformation of global ports, the pain points of traditional container terminals relying on manual operation, limited efficiency, many potential safety hazards and high operation costs are increasingly prominent, which cannot meet the industrial demand of rapid development of cross-border logistics and increasing container throughput year by year.With the core advantages of high-precision operation, unmanned operation and intelligent dispatching coordination, the Automated RTG Crane has completely reconstructed the operation mode of container yard and become the core standard equipment for upgrading modern intelligent ports and intelligent logistics hubs.This article will completely disassemble the automatic RTG crane, providing professional and comprehensive selection and upgrading reference for the purchaser.

What Is an Automated RTG Crane?

Definition of automated RTG crane

Henan Mine Crane manufactured automatic RTG crane, full name of automatic tire gantry crane, is a modern port-specific lifting equipment equipped with intelligent control system, high-precision positioning module, vision recognition system and autonomous anti-shake technology. It is an intelligent upgrade iteration product of traditional tire gantry crane.Different from fixed rail cranes, this equipment adopts rubber tire walking structure, without laying fixed rails, can move flexibly in hardened sites, and adapts to the flexible operation requirements of multi-area and multi-station container yards.

The core of the equipment relies on the terminal operating system (TOS) and the equipment control system (ECS) to cooperate and link together. Through multi-sensor fusion sensing and intelligent algorithm scheduling, the equipment can independently complete the whole process operations such as container grabbing, handling, stacking, alignment and dropping. It does not need manual real-time control and can operate stably 24 hours a day. It is the core main equipment for intelligent container terminal yard operation and is widely used in port yard, logistics hub, freight terminal and other scenarios.

Automated vs traditional RTG crane

The core operational differences between automated RTG cranes and traditional RTG cranes can be clearly compared in the following table, covering key operational indicators:

How Does an Automated RTG Crane Work?

Control system

The control system is the core brain of the automated RTG crane. It adopts PLC industrial control + edge computing three-level architecture and is equipped with exclusive equipment control programs to realize instruction issuance, logic operation, status control and fault warning of the whole operation process.The system can seamlessly connect the port TOS terminal operating system and ECS equipment management and control system, receive the yard operation task list in real time, automatically disassemble the operation steps, plan the optimal operation path, and coordinate all actions such as equipment walking, lifting, amplitude variation and rotation.

Compared with the traditional single control mode, the automatic control system has millisecond command response speed, can adjust the equipment operation parameters in real time, adapt to the operation requirements of different specifications and different weight containers, and has the data storage, operation traceability and parameter adaptive adjustment capabilities to ensure the long-term stable and standardized operation of the equipment, effectively avoiding the arbitrariness and non-standardization of manual operation.

GPS positioning

Henan Mine Crane manufactured automatic RTG is equipped with high-precision Beidou +GPS dual-mode positioning system, integrating UWB ultra-wideband positioning module and inertial navigation unit to realize accurate positioning at millimeter level in the whole yard, with positioning accuracy up to ±10mm, completely solving the problems of large alignment deviation, irregular stacking and low site utilization rate of traditional equipment.The system can collect real-time equipment position, operation track and operation coordinate data, and independently plan the optimal walking route and operation point by combining with the electronic map of the yard.

During the operation process, the positioning system dynamically calibrates the posture of the equipment in real time, corrects the walking offset and position deviation in time, ensures that each container grabbing, dropping and stacking accurately conforms to the preset coordinates, not only improves the operation accuracy, but also maximizes the utilization of the yard space, improves the container stacking density, and effectively improves the overall storage capacity utilization rate of the port yard.

Container recognition

The equipment is equipped with 3D vision recognition system and laser scanning perception module, combined with deep learning algorithm to realize full-dimensional intelligent recognition of containers.During the operation process, the vision system can quickly and accurately identify the size, specification, box number, posture and placement angle of the container, and detect the damage, lock hole position, box offset and other conditions of the container in real time, so as to provide accurate data support for the grasping operation.

Compared with manual naked eye recognition, the intelligent identification system is not affected by light, weather and day and night environment, and the identification accuracy rate is close to 100%. It can quickly adapt to the operation requirements of various standard containers such as 20 feet, 40 feet and 45 feet. At the same time, it can accurately identify obstacles, vehicles and personnel in the yard, providing core perception support for equipment collision avoidance and safe operation, and avoiding misoperation risks from the technical level.

Anti-sway control

In container lifting operation, the sloshing of spreader and container body is the core problem that affects the operation precision, slows down the operation efficiency and causes the safety hidden danger.The automatic RTG is equipped with an intelligent anti-sway control system, which monitors the swing amplitude, frequency and direction of the spreader in real time through dynamic algorithms, and outputs damping adjustment instructions in real time in combination with the running speed and working height of the equipment.

The system can actively suppress the swing of the box during the whole process of equipment walking, lifting and braking, quickly eliminate the operation shaking, realize stable lifting and stable falling without manual intervention, greatly shorten the waiting time for single operation to stabilize the box, improve the operation cycle efficiency, effectively reduce the risk of collision, falling and damage of the box, ensure the safety of container operation and reduce the loss of goods.

Remote operation

Automatic RTG supports remote centralized control and unmanned autonomous operation mode, equipped with remote control console, operators can leave the site high-risk operation environment, in the central control room to complete remote monitoring, command scheduling and abnormal intervention of multiple equipment.Relying on the high-speed communication network, the equipment operation screen, operation data and equipment status can be synchronized to the central control platform in real time to realize visual remote control.

Under normal operating conditions, the equipment completes the entire process independently without manual intervention.In case of extreme weather, abnormal equipment and special operation conditions, the operator can switch the remote control mode with one key to intervene in the operation in real time, giving consideration to the efficiency of intelligent operation and the flexibility of special scenes, and completely eliminating the safety risks of personnel working at high altitude and heavy load on site.

Key Technologies Behind Smart RTG Crane Automation

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the core support for intelligent RTG crane to realize high-level automatic operation. The equipment is equipped with three AI core algorithms: deep learning, autonomous decision-making and intelligent scheduling.AI algorithm can independently optimize operation path, stacking logic and scheduling scheme through mass operation data training, dynamically adjust operation plan according to arrival and departure frequency, stacking status and operation priority of container yard, and realize optimal allocation of yard resources.

At the same time, AI system has the ability of independent error correction and self-adaptation of working conditions, which can accurately identify unconventional operation scenarios and slight abnormalities of equipment, and adjust operation parameters independently without manual frequent debugging.Compared with traditional fixed-procedure operation equipment, AI-enabled automated RTG operation efficiency has been improved by more than 30%, operation fault tolerance rate and intelligent level have been greatly upgraded, and it is suitable for complex and changeable port operation scenarios.

IoT monitoring

The IoT monitoring system realizes automatic RTG full-equipment, full-working condition and full-time data acquisition and status monitoring.The equipment is equipped with multi-dimensional sensors such as temperature, vibration, speed, pressure, energy consumption and position, which collect equipment operating parameters, operation data, energy consumption data and fault information in real time and transmit them to the cloud management and control platform through the Internet of Things.

Management personnel can view the operation status, operation output, energy consumption and equipment working conditions of each RTG in real time through terminal equipment, realizing equipment visualization and digital control.At the same time, IoT system can automatically count operation data, generate operation reports, accurately record container operation volume, operation duration and energy consumption loss, provide accurate data support for port operation optimization, equipment maintenance and cost accounting, and completely change the extensive management mode of traditional manual statistics.

Digital twin

Digital twin technology provides core enabling for intelligent operation and maintenance and scheduling upgrade of automated RTG. By constructing 1:1 virtual simulation model of equipment and yard operation scenario, real-time data synchronization and state linkage between physical equipment and virtual model are realized.The system can simulate equipment operation track, operation process and storage yard storage state in real time, and predict operation conflict, equipment hidden danger, site congestion and other problems in advance.

Relying on the digital twin simulation capability, the port can simulate the operation scheme in advance, optimize the dispatching logic, predict the equipment maintenance cycle, complete the scheme debugging and parameter optimization without shutdown, and greatly reduce the trial and error cost.At the same time, it can realize visual traceability of equipment faults, quickly locate fault points and causes, improve operation and maintenance efficiency, and ensure high-load, uninterrupted and stable operation of equipment.

5G communication

5G communication technology is the network foundation of automatic RTG efficient coordination, remote control and real-time data transmission. It has the core advantages of low delay, high bandwidth, large capacity and anti-interference, which perfectly meets the communication requirements of complex port operation environment.Compared with 4G and traditional wireless communication mode, 5G network delay is reduced to millisecond level, which can guarantee real-time synchronous transmission of equipment control instructions, video pictures and sensing data, and eliminate problems such as command delay, picture jam and data loss.

Relying on 5G technology, multiple automatic RTG can realize cluster collaborative operation, real-time linkage with AGV unmanned transport vehicle, port dispatching system, access control system and monitoring system, build intelligent operation system with global coordination, realize seamless connection of port operation process, greatly improve overall operation circulation efficiency, and is the core communication guarantee for all-unmanned intelligent port construction.

Fault diagnosis

Automatic RTG is equipped with intelligent fault diagnosis and early warning system, relying on big data analysis and AI algorithm to realize independent detection, accurate positioning, early warning and intelligent traceability of equipment faults.The system monitors the operating parameters of core components such as motor, hydraulic system, control system, positioning module and sensing equipment in real time, compares the standard operating condition data, and timely identifies abnormal fluctuations.

For minor faults, the system can automatically complete fault repair and parameter calibration.For major faults, sound and light early warning can be issued in real time, and fault points, fault causes and solutions can be pushed to operation and maintenance terminals synchronously to avoid safety accidents and equipment damage caused by equipment operation with faults.This technology greatly reduces the failure rate of equipment, prolongs the service life of equipment, shortens the downtime and maintenance time, and ensures the continuity of port operations.

Benefits of Automated RTG Cranes in Container Terminal Operations

Higher efficiency

Automatic RTG completely breaks the efficiency bottleneck of manual operation and realizes leapfrog improvement of port operation efficiency.The equipment can operate continuously for 24 hours without interruption, without efficiency interruption caused by manual rest, shift change and fatigue operation, stable operation rhythm and faster circulation speed.Relying on AI intelligent dispatching and optimal path planning, redundant operations such as invalid walking, repeated alignment and container stabilization waiting are reduced, and the cycle time of single container operation is greatly shortened.

The measured data shows that the operation efficiency of automatic RTG is 40%-60% higher than that of traditional manual equipment, and the daily operation volume of single equipment is increased by more than 50%. The coordinated operation of multi-equipment cluster can greatly improve the overall throughput of the port, effectively solve the problems of container accumulation and inbound and outbound congestion in the port, and meet the needs of large-scale and efficient development of cross-border logistics.At the same time, standardized automatic operation can improve the regularity of storage yard and improve the site utilization rate by more than 15%.

Improved safety

Safety is the core bottom line of port terminal operation. Automatic RTG reconstructs port safety operation system from the source to avoid potential safety hazards of traditional operation in an all-round way.Traditional RTG operation requires operators to stay in the high-altitude cab. Heavy load, high-altitude and open-air operation scenarios are prone to safety accidents such as falling, collision and box falling. Meanwhile, the risk of severe weather operation is extremely high.

Automatic RTG realizes on-site unmanned operation, remote control and control of operators, completely eliminating the risk of personnel working at heights.The equipment is equipped with multiple safety protection mechanisms such as intelligent collision avoidance, obstacle identification, emergency braking and anti-shake stability box, which can actively avoid collision risks of personnel, vehicles and equipment, effectively reduce the occurrence rate of equipment failure, cargo damage and safety accidents, and realize the safe operation goal of zero casualties, low equipment failure and low cargo loss in port operation.

Lower labor costs

RTG operation of traditional container terminals requires a large number of certified operators, on-site management personnel, inspection personnel, labor compensation, skill training, post management, safety guarantee and other labor costs remain high, and the shortage of professional operators in the industry is large, personnel mobility is high, and manpower control is extremely difficult.

Henan Mine Crane manufactured automatic RTG does not need on-site operators, only a small number of operation and maintenance personnel and central control dispatching personnel can complete the management and control of multiple equipment, which can reduce more than 70% of the front-line operation manpower configuration and greatly reduce the comprehensive labor costs such as labor compensation, training, management and social security.At the same time, intelligent operation and maintenance of equipment can reduce manual inspection costs, reduce economic losses caused by human operation errors, and achieve significant cost reduction benefits for long-term operation.

Better management

Relying on digital and intelligent management and control system, automatic RTG completely changes the extensive and empirical management mode of traditional terminals and realizes refined, standardized and digital global management.All operation processes, operation data, energy consumption data and fault records of equipment can be automatically saved and uploaded in real time to form complete data accounts, supporting operation traceability, data statistics and report generation.

Management personnel can monitor the operation status, equipment operation conditions and operation progress of the yard in real time through the cloud platform, accurately grasp the port operation data, and realize global control without on-site inspection.At the same time, the intelligent dispatching system can independently optimize the operation process, reasonably allocate operation tasks, avoid resource waste and operation conflict, greatly improve the overall operation management efficiency and standardization level of the port, and assist the port to realize digital transformation and upgrading.

Energy savings

Traditional manual RTG operation energy consumption control is extensive, operators start and stop at will, high-speed operation, invalid idling and other problems are common, equipment energy consumption waste is serious, and operation energy consumption cost remains high.Automatic RTG is equipped with intelligent energy-saving control system, which can dynamically adjust the operating power and operating speed of equipment according to operating conditions, load weight and operating distance, so as to eliminate ineffective energy consumption.

At the same time, the equipment is equipped with an energy recovery system, which can recover and reuse the excess energy generated in the process of lifting braking and walking deceleration to further reduce energy consumption.The measured data show that the comprehensive energy consumption of automated RTG is 15%-25% lower than that of traditional manual equipment, greatly reducing port energy consumption expenses and reducing carbon emissions, which is in line with the industry development trend of green port and low-carbon logistics.

Automated RTG Crane Applications in Modern Smart Ports

Container yards

Container yard is the core and most extensive application scenario of Henan Mine Crane manufactured automated RTG.Port yard undertakes the core functions of container stacking, sorting, sorting and transit. Traditional manual operation has low efficiency, chaotic stacking and low site utilization.With the advantages of flexible walking, accurate stacking, intelligent sorting and 24-hour operation, automatic RTG can independently complete the classified stacking, regular placement and batch sorting of import boxes, export boxes and transfer boxes.Through intelligent algorithm optimization of storage scheme, standardized storage of containers in zones, classifications and layers is realized, space utilization rate of storage yard is maximized, idle space and waste of storage yard are reduced, convenient and efficient container access is ensured, turnover efficiency of storage yard is greatly improved, and large-scale container storage and transit demand of large ports are met.

Port terminals

In modern seaports and river port container terminals, automatic RTG is the core hub equipment connecting quayside crane and horizontal transportation equipment, undertaking the key tasks of container loading, unloading, transshipment and stacking.The equipment can cooperate seamlessly with quayside bridge, AGV unmanned transport vehicle and truck collection to build a fully automated operation link.Compared with the traditional manual operation mode, automatic cluster operation can completely solve the problems of poor connection, slow turnover and frequent congestion of terminal operation, greatly improve the container throughput capacity of the terminal, meet the operation requirements of rapid loading and unloading and efficient turnover of large ocean-going ships, and is the core standard equipment for upgrading and transforming modern intelligent container terminals.

Logistics hubs

The container transit, storage and distribution operation scenarios of inland logistics hubs, comprehensive freight centers and cross-border logistics parks have extremely high requirements on equipment flexibility, operation efficiency and adaptability.With the advantages of trackless flexible walking, strong site adaptability and high degree of automation, automatic RTG can meet the needs of inland hardened sites and multi-area circulation operations.The equipment can complete the whole process operations such as container distribution, temporary storage, sorting and allocation, loading and unloading and transshipment, assist the six logistics hubs to realize standardized, efficient and intelligent control of container operations, break through the barriers of six-sea logistics connection, improve the transfer efficiency of six logistics, and assist the intelligent upgrading of regional logistics industry.

Terminal upgrades

Aiming at the intelligent upgrading and transformation scenarios of traditional old docks and traditional manual RTG operation terminals, the automatic RTG transformation scheme has the advantages of high adaptability and high cost performance.There is no need for large-scale renovation of the site or laying of fixed tracks, and intelligent upgrades can be completed on the basis of the original operating site and original equipment.Whether it is partial intelligent upgrading of small and medium-sized terminals or unmanned transformation of large old terminals, automatic RTG can adapt to different upgrading requirements, help traditional terminals complete intelligent transformation at low cost and fast speed, rapidly improve operation efficiency, safety level and operation level, activate old terminal resources and prolong terminal service life.

Henan Mine Crane Factory Custom

With the continuous acceleration of the intelligent, digital and green transformation process of global ports, the operation mode of traditional artificial RTG cranes has been unable to meet the efficient, safe and low-cost operation requirements of modern logistics. With the all-round advantages of high-precision operation, unmanned operation, efficient coordination, low-carbon energy saving and intelligent management and control, automatic RTG cranes have become the core equipment of intelligent container terminals and modern logistics hubs.

As a professional port automation RTG crane source manufacturer, Henan Mine Crane Factory has been deeply engaged in the R & D and customization of intelligent lifting equipment for many years, adapting to the needs of the whole scene such as upgrading of old and new terminals and transformation of logistics hubs.We provide one-stop services for equipment customization, system integration, on-site installation, commissioning and operation, and support personalized intelligent solution customization.Assist the port to greatly improve efficiency, reduce cost, ensure safety, easily realize unmanned and green intelligent upgrading, and avoid pain points of traditional terminal operation.