Cargotec’s Kalmar business area has been awarded a repeat order from Patrick Terminals to supply automatic straddle carriers to the Fisherman Islands terminal in Brisbane, Australia. The four new ESC350WA straddle carriers will be introduced into service in Brisbane before September 2009, taking the total number of Kalmar fully automated straddle carriers at the terminal to 27.

Kalmar has been contracted to provide maintenance for Patrick Stevedores’ automated straddle carrier fleet starting from the date when the operation was still in a testing phase.

Kalmar’s EDRIVE® straddle carriers are electrically driven with AC drives to meet the strictest environmental standards. The units on order for Brisbane are fitted with winch rope hoist systems and motion control and navigation systems which allow them to operate unmanned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Kalmar’s proven 7th generation EDRIVE® ESC350W straddle carriers offer high performance, low operating costs and excellent machine availability.

Ilkka Annala, Kalmar industries, said:

 “The equipment has been recorded to complete some 32,000 lifts every month. These automated twinlift straddle carriers can stack containers up to three high and have a lifting capacity of up to 50 tonnes and a maximum speed of 30 km/hour.” 

Kalmar automated straddle carriers in Brisbane

After intensive research, development and testing, the world’s first fully automated straddle carrier system commenced large-scale operations in Brisbane in December 2005. The terminal opened for full-scale commercial operations with 18 Kalmar automated straddle carriers.  From the start the operation was a big success. After less than one year of operation, Patrick ordered a further five Kalmar straddle carriers in 2006 to expand the fleet of carriers to 23.

The steady expansion of the Brisbane automated straddle carrier facility reflects the numerous advantages offered by the system. In 2006 the new automated straddle carriers were a response to the commissioning of two additional ship-to-shore cranes at the facility. Recent expansion of the Brisbane operation has included building a new control tower, a new repair facility and creating a new empty container yard –automated straddle carrier interface. The latest order of four units will be deployed by Patrick at its operations at quay 8 to quay 10 in the port of Brisbane.  

Kalmar is a global provider of container and heavy duty materials handling equipment, automation applications and related services. It is the world's leading supplier of cargo handling equipment to ports, terminals and intermodal facilities.

Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine. The company also supplies a wide range of machines to demanding industrial customers for applications as diverse as handling steel and paper to shunting road trailers at distribution hubs.

Kalmar is also leading the way in port automation applications with its application of unmanned container handling technology, on-board smart features and remote maintenance products developed in cooperation with customers and partners.

Kalmar's product range is complemented by a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management. Production plants are situated in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Malaysia, China and the USA.  Kalmar's net sales were EUR 1.343 billion in 2007.

Kalmar is part of Cargotec Corporation, the world's leading provider of cargo handling solutions, which are used in local transportation, terminals, ports, distribution centres, and ships. Cargotec’s sales exceed EUR 3 billion and the company employs approximately 12,000 people. Cargotec’s class B shares are quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.