ZPMC develops automated port technology

At the Navis 2019 conference in San Francisco, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co Ltd (ZPMC), the world’s largest port machinery manufacturer, sees automated ports as the key to its long-term growth.

The company’s subsidiary, ZPMC Smart Solutions, demonstrated some of the Chinese company’s latest achievements at the Navis conference.

ZPMC says market strength begins with port machinery and with the belief that all employees hold the idea of “dare to be the first and lead the world.”
ZPMC container machinery products have covered 300 wharves in 100 countries and regions around the world, accounting for more than 70% of the world’s market share.
ZPMC is a supplier of ship to shore cranes and other equipment for the automated Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) at the Port of Long Beach.
At Navis 2019, Wang Yan, manager software integration for ZPMC Smart Solutions, explained to AJOT how the company’s strategy for developing automated ports and technology is organized into four steps:
• Planning and Design. This includes planning, performance analysis, equipment and design selection as well as simulation and emulation.
• System Integration. This includes a terminal operating system (TOS) that is “applicable” to systems produced by Navis, Cosmos, TSB and others. System integration also includes: smart scheduling, smart ship to shore cranes, smart terminal lay-outs, smart container yard transport including automated guided vehicles and next generation intelligent guided vehicles.
• Project Management. This includes full life-cycle lab simulation, factory testing and site integration commissioning equipment.
• Operations and Maintenance. This includes remote technical support, smart maintenance and systems optimization. New technology allows ZPMC to anticipate component replacement times so as to replace parts with a minimum of disruption to its customers.
Wang told AJOT that ZPMC has constructed new automated terminals at the Port of Qingdao; the Yangshan deep-water port near Shanghai, which both went operational in 2017. ZPMC also built China’s first automated container terminal the Ocean Gate Container Terminal built at the Port of Xiamen. Wang said that at the three terminals the average container per hour production rate is “in the low 30 moves per hour.”
Wang said that “the future of terminals lies in unmanned technology. Through remote control, intelligent container terminals will have better performance and lower operational costs than traditional ones.”
The company has attributed its success to a high rate of investment in research and development, he said.