A leading West Australian branch of Ports and Bulk is revolutionising its operations with cutting-edge automation from RCT.
RCT was selected to automate a process whereby the wharf crane loads the required product into a ship via a rotating container tipper, ready for transport in a safe, effortless and streamlined way.
Our client was one of Australia’s largest integrated providers of import and export logistics services and is well-known for embracing innovation to enhance financial outcomes, client satisfaction, productivity, efficiency, safety, and environmental performance.
This is exactly what RCT has helped deliver the client through close collaboration from initial concept to completion. Several requirements were identified during the project process, with all these needs being accommodated and incorporated in the final design.
The streamlined process has entailed the deployment of RCT’s agnostic Automation, with a suite of sensors providing instant feedback to the operator for the crane sequence of operation. A self-cleaning camera system was also added on the rotating container tipper to provide instantaneous visual feedback to the operator, to deliver the best results.
“The addition of the cameras and RCT’s data and information system was also necessary to provide instant, vital information to the operator,” said RCT Account Manager, Phill Dean.
“This also provides maintenance staff both a remote and local access to view and confirm machine feedback live. This ensures that operators are made aware of any issues promptly. This was previously relayed by the operator themselves,” he added.
These additional solutions ensure the sea containers are being picked up and its contents dumped onto a ship in a safe, timely and accurate manner.
“There is now a greater transparency of reporting of what is happening, which in turn gives the operator more knowledge of the situation and tools and the ability to improve productivity or stop production immediately if something was wrong,” he said.
“There is lots of value added in the sensor suite. RCT through the collaboration process incorporated more feedback sensors required for operation whilst maintaining the on-machine enclosure configuration maintaining the current distribution panel footprints.”
This is the first time RCT has participated in a project of this scope, therefore it was tasked to RCT’s bespoke department, RCT Custom, which was executed it effortlessly.
RCT Custom Manager, Steven Appleton said the project was outside the department’s normal remote installation as they weren’t installing the technology on a mobile machine.
“This project required the team to write an automation sequence to a fixed plant and getting the automation right was the most challenging aspect of the project,” he said.
Prior to automating the process, it was a two-person job for safety reasons so there were “eyes” on the ground and from the cab of the crane. The operator was in control of releasing the rotating container tipper locks, lifting the lid, closing the lid, re-locking it, and placing it back down again.
“This process has removed the need for two operators and had automated the sequence into segments which streamline the process,” he added.
The implementation of RCT’s extensive range of solutions not only met all the client’s desired requirements but also played a crucial role in safeguarding operators and significantly reducing dust pollution, which was vital due to the site’s proximity to the town centre.
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Emma Young, RCT Communications Officer
