Ship-to-shore crane is a type of large dockside gantry crane found at container terminals for loading and unloading intermodal containers from container ships. Container cranes consist of a supporting framework that can traverse the length of a quay or yard on a rail track. Instead of a hook, they are equipped with a specialized handling tool called a spreader.
The spreader can be lowered on top of a container and locks onto the container's four locking points using a twistlock mechanism. Cranes normally transport a single container at once, but some newer cranes have the capability to pick up two to four 20-foot containers at once.
The spreader can be lowered on top of a container and locks onto the container's four locking points using a twistlock mechanism. Cranes normally transport a single container at once, but some newer cranes have the capability to pick up two to four 20-foot containers at once.
Type Ship-To-Shore Crane
Low Profile
The boom is shuttled toward and over the ship to allow the trolley to load and discharge containers. Low-profile cranes are used where they may be in the flight path of aircraft, such as where a container terminal is located close to an airport.
High Profile
The boom is hinged at the waterside of the crane structure and lifted in the air to clear the ships for navigation.
Sizes Ship-To-Shore Crane
Smaller Sizes
Smaller container cranes, such as straddle carriers, are used at railway sidings to transfer containers from flatcars and well cars to semi-trailers or vice versa.
Panamax
A Panamax crane can fully load and unload containers from a panamax class container ship capable of passing through the Panama Canal (190 ft (57.91 m)limit in air draft)
Post-Panamax
"Post-Panamax" crane can load and unload containers from a container ship too large to pass through the Panama Canal (normally about 18 containers wide).
Super-Post Panamax
Modern container crane capable of lifting two 20-foot (6.1 m) long containers at once under the telescopic spreader will have a rated lifting capacity of 65 tonnes.
