Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASC)

Automatic stacking cranes (ASC) are rail mounted cranes used for yard stacking and in-stack transportation of containers in the storage area. ASCs deposit and pick up containers from dedicated transfer areas at both ends of the stack. Stacks are located usually perpendicular to the quayside in order to minimise the travelling distances of feeding equipment. Straddle carriers, Shuttle Carriers®, trailers or AGVs can be used to transport containers between ship-to-shore cranes and the front-end of the stacks. Road trucks can be directly loaded/unloaded by remote control operators or by Shuttle Carriers® or straddle carriers. Control and monitoring systems provide an optimized operation enabling constant quality and throughput.