Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has reached another landmark in its commitment to local suppliers with the handover of 23 straddle carriers to Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) in Durban, South Africa. Transnet ordered these diesel-electric machines in November 2016 to TPT Durban Pier 2, a dedicated straddle carrier operation in South Africa handling a throughput of 2.6 million TEU. Over the last 15 years, Kalmar has delivered in excess of 150 straddle carriers to TPT. The significance of this latest order is that the machine structures were built locally in partnership with Transnet Engineering, an advanced manufacturing division of Transnet that employs more than 12,000 people across six locations and more than 130 depots in South Africa.
The spreader beam was one of the key elements of this project.
The spreader beam was one of the key elements of this project.
The straddle carrier components produced at the Transnet Engineering facility in Durban comply with strict European standards and are made to the same high standards as those produced by Kalmar in Europe. The spreader beam was one of the key elements of this project. Kalmar had never manufactured spreader beams outside its European supply chain and the fabrication of this device, which automatically locates and locks the container, is an extremely complex process as all the parts are manufactured independently before being assembled. "This was the first time our engineers had an opportunity to manufacture straddle carrier component kits with an OEM of Kalmar's calibre," explains Thamsanqa Jiyane, Transnet Engineering Chief Officer Advanced Manufacturing. "Since 2002, Kalmar has invested significantly on localisation and has always exceeded its supplier development commitments to the local economy," says Amanlal Kumkaran, National Service Executive Manager Southern Africa, Kalmar.