With the push for increased productivity and enhanced efficiency, the automated handling of cargo is becoming a necessity. In recent years, automation has revolutionized many industries in Indonesia, including port operations. ABB is leading the way for PT. Equiport Inti Indonesia, a subsidiary of PT. Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) Group, Indonesia’s leading port operator, to modernize their container cranes in West Papua.
Equiport opted to partner with ABB, which was able to provide a package comprising AC500 PLC system, crane monitoring system (CMS), DCS800, and ACS880 which will enable the container cranes to perform better and more reliably with increased flexibility and guaranteed safety. More importantly, ABB Motion Services offered an absolute guarantee that the PLCs and variable speed drives would communicate flawlessly with one another. With a target to operate in Q2–2021, the order underpins continuous trust from PT. Equiport Inti Indonesia to utilize ABB’s advance technology.
PT. Equiport Inti Indonesia (Equiport) is a port service provider based in Makassar, South Sulawesi with working areas spread over Bitung, Ambon, Jayapura, and Kalimantan. Since 2015, ABB and PT. Equiport Inti Indonesia have been working together in several projects. Throughout the years, ABB has supplied ACS800, AC500 PLC, crane maintenance station, site installation, start up and commissioning.
In this current project, Pelindo through Equiport installed two new container cranes to Sorong Port to increase loading and unloading productivity at the port. ABB Motion Services team inspects regularly to Pelindo and found that the existing drives and its control system were obsolete. ABB Motion Services was teamed up to upgrade and supply AC500 PLC system, DCS800, and ACS880 with built-in crane control software and range of safety functions to help the container cranes move efficiently.
ABB’s dedicated crane drives offers a full range of functions which ensure safer and faster crane operation at Pelindo. In addition to a new system, the crane drives are used to upgrade existing systems with new proven crane drive modules. DCS800’s superior brake control provides smooth crane operation and is the base for all other crane functions. The brake control operates as a handshake between the speed controller and the motor shaft. All mechanical brake delay times and brake fault monitor functions can be easily set up and adjusted by the user through crane drive software. The ACS880 drives are used to move the hoist, trolley, boom hoist, and gantry crane. With the AC500 PLC, ABB utilizes it to design and create scalable, cost-effective, and flexible crane solution program. Other than supplying drives and PLCs, ABB Motion Services supports Equiport from control system design, engineering, installation, and commissioning.
A manual inspection will be carried out twice during the warranty period. Equiport and ABB Motion Services will later on discuss about the service agreement once the crane are commissioned in 2021.
“Overhead crane modernization provides Equiport more functional, productive, and up-to-date equipment that meets safety standards at a much lower cost than a new crane. This is an excellent solution to double the productivity by combining safety, reliability, and energy efficiency. We are happy to be able to help Equiport meet the increasing demand for quality investment in port facilities in East Indonesia,” said Wiwiet Yuniarto, Drives Service Manager, ABB in Indonesia.
A key benefit of our Drives and PLCs in crane control and safety is its ability to improve productivity by letting the crane operator fully focus on moving the goods rather than manually controlling the sway. It also lowers the risk of accidents and damage to the load caused by uncontrolled sway. ABB has developed an automation concept for container cranes enabling automation to be combined with efficient crane and port designs. By providing the port modernization through integrated crane monitoring system, ABB ensures fast handling and flexibility needed in practical port operations.
