What do you mean by a shuttle type ship loader? ■

The only thing i know is that the slew cables get in the way when loading. ■

Hello Sunny

What you describe is broadly 3 styles of machine,

i) Slew style is nice and low and you can slew the boom over the wharf for maintenance. A bit trickier to control, but with modern electronics not usually a problem.

ii) Shuttling of the whole boom on a horizontal bridge is a tidy solution and easy to clear the berthing line, but requires a large rail gauge. Tends to be heavy but worthwhile for high loading rates (ie over 8,000tph) because you can keep the loads on the shuttle boom lower.

iii) Shuttling of the chute inside a main boom. Requires the boom to be luffed high (ie typically above 70degree) to clear the berthing line, which also means that the operator's cabin tends to get in the way. However, with a tendency for a narrow rail gauge, this is an efficient style usable for transfer rates at up to probably around 6,000 to 8,000 tph.

There is a fourth style, being the radial type ship loader, though you did not seem to be looking for that in your description. For completeness, this style of loader is light but may require moving of the ship part way through loading. Tends to be not so efficient for dedicated high rate facilities.

Generally, I tend to prefer the high luffing machine, endeavour to start with that and select one of the others if specific situations require it.

All the best. ■

Hi, Sunny!

The first I want to say is that Helmut Mayer had sufficiently described the main construction types of shiploaders booms, and I just want to make some additions.

The clear slew type and shuttle type shiploaders have the next disadvantages: the slew boom is long and, as you have noticed, more suitable only for gearless bulkcarriers; due to huge weight of shuttling boom the shuttle shiploader has a shortest outreach. Due to these disadvantages these types of shiploaders are seldom used.

There are three general types of shiploaders which are more often used: the swinging shiploader with luffing boom and swinging chute; the shiploader with swinging and luffing bridge-type boom and shuttling (traveling along the boom) carriage with a vertical telescopic chute; and just luffing boom with shuttling carriage with a vertical telescopic chute.

The first two types are more flexible and, as Mr. Helmut pointed, more comfortable in maintenance but they are cost efficient on low rates of loading, I would say up to 2500 tph, for high capacity loaders more preferable the last one. ■

Hello, Sunny,

As a person who is many years occupied ( design, installation, operation, maintenance) with shiploaders of the three types (shuttle, slew & radial), I can recommend you without of doubt:

the shuttle type shiploader is the best!.

Regards,

Michael ■

Dear Sunny, Now,if your goodself thinks that by getting advise from the Hon. members of this forum you can select a ship loader then you are making mistake,please feed the complete information to the Forum experts.I have been working in two major ports in Chennai--Ennore Port and Chennai port I know their conditions where you can not work for 12-14 weeks in a year and sometimes ground currents are very high.Please provide the following information--

1. Type of material to be unloading-I know it should be coal

2. Type of ship /DWT of the ship.

3. Whether the shipunloaders are mounted on jetty or This is transshipper or floating cranes.

4. Details of the jetty/rail guage ect.

5. Capacity to be unloaded-Do not unload less then 40,000 tpd other wise the coal import price will jack to 2-3 US$ per tonne. In India ,per day waiting charges for PANAMX BABY is US$ 70-80000 .

I am doing feasibility with a Dutch Co. for a business house in that area,where the requirement is to feed 5 mtpa of coal to his 500 MW power plant which is10 km away from Ennore port.

Anil

www.libranengineering.com ■

Dear Sunny, A small correction--Please induct ship loader in the place of ship unloader. The shiploader. I think shall be for Iron ore.SICAL is developing a big facility at Port of Ennore.

Anil. ■

Hello, Sunny,

Advantages of a shuttle type shiploarers are:

1. The shiploader with the one telescopic conveyor on the boom is a very simple and easy to maintain machine.

The head motor-drum is located on a carriage moved by a rope winch.

2. The boom is luffed up to 65 deg. and it's enough to clear berthing line and to put the boom on any ship from DWT 3000 to PANAMAX.

Since 1985 we have been operating our shiploaders from decks of ships , so we stripped down operator's cabins.

3. We use hydraulic operated pendulum type head chute of the boom conveyor (+45 deg/-45 deg or + 5m/- 5m to the actual loading length) with a vertical Cleveland Cascade to provide dustless loading.

4. I'd recommend you to visit ports: seeing is believing.

Regards,

Michael ■