Porto Itapoá internally develops innovative equipment

The totally modular and innovative Spreader-Rocker is capable of adjusting to several kinds of operation and load format

Porto Itapoá has started operating a new piece of equipment, which has been devised and developed inside the company. It is a spreader – Rocker (a device used to handle BreakBulk pieces and/or several merchandise models) that is completely modular and innovative, capable of adjusting to kinds of operation and load format.

According to Thiago Santos, Porto Itapoá’s Operations Manager, the main benefit of this new piece of equipment is that it can be used with loads of different formats, especially breakbulk, thus streamlining activities. “Additionally, it can also adjust to our internal pieces of equipment, such as portainers, RTGs and reach stackers, hence driving our operations”, he complemented.

This was an old idea, but Santos and his team worked together and managed to develop the general design of the equipment. “Afterwards, we presented it to the board, which embraced the idea, as it understood the operating and safety advantages it brought”, explained Santos. The next step consisted of searching for a supplier that could make it happen.

In addition to large loads and loads in different formats, the spreader-Rocker also can also be used with merchandise in smaller formats thanks to its detachable and multi-functional structure, with several lashing points.

New equipment

Porto Itapoá was the first port terminal in Brazil to have a gondola-style lashing and unlashing cage. This piece of equipment is attached to the portainers to maintain the safety of the operations assistants, who are the professionals responsible for unlocking or locking the containers on board.

In addition to maximizing safety, the cage will also exponentially increase operating speed by 40%, thus ensuring even more efficiency in our operations.  According to Thiago Santos, Porto Itapoá’s operations manager, this acquisition is evidence of the Terminal’s continuous goal to develop its operations. “We believe that safety and efficiency are directly connected, and that is why we have been making investments, not only in equipment but also in training our team”, he commented.

This piece of equipment, manufactured by Spanish company Tec Container, represented in Brazil by Rima, weighs six tons and is technically called a lashing cage. Composed of two side platforms, where the professionals stand, the cage may be opened between 23 and 45 ft, approximately 7.5 and 15 m, respectively. It can support up to two professionals on each side of the gondola (500 kg capacity), thus ensuring improved agility and safety during operations.