Dry bulk terminal operators in transshipment hubs are constantly under pressure to improve efficiency and reduce vessel turnaround times. Increasing terminal performance is essential not only for maintaining a competitive edge, but also for optimizing shareholder value and ensuring long-term profitability. In this high-pressure environment, every stage of the transshipment process matters, and grabs play a crucial role in achieving higher productivity, faster cycles, and lower operational costs while maintaining safe and reliable operations.
To address this need, Nemag developed the NemaX grab, specifically designed to maximize performance in iron ore handling. This next-generation grab delivers a productivity increase of more than 10%, enabling faster vessel turnaround times and more efficient operations.
Understanding the Grab Unloading Process
To fully understand where these gains come from, it’s important to look at the different phases of the unloading process. In the transshipment sector, productivity is often measured using the free digging rate. This represents the combined performance of the crane and grab at a specific point in the vessel’s hold, multiplied by the number of cycles per hour. It is widely used as a benchmark for unloading capacity.
However, focusing only on free digging does not tell the full story. In reality, approximately 65% of the total unloading time is spent handling the final 30% of the cargo. This means that the majority of time is consumed during the intermediate and trimming phases, where conditions are more complex and efficiency typically decreases.
This insight highlights a key opportunity: optimizing performance across all phases of the unloading cycle, not just the initial free digging stage. Through extensive computer simulations and on-site testing, Nemag has developed solutions that accelerate the unloading process from start to finish.
Curious how these improvements translate into real operational gains? Download our case study and discover how to optimize every stage of your unloading process.
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