DRS Wheel System Solves European Crane Vibration Issues

A container yard at an international hub port was facing growing pressure to handle increasing throughput. The existing gantry cranes experienced issues such as jerky starts during heavy-load operations, unstable travel, and excessive wheel flange wear. These problems not only led to poor positioning accuracy and inefficient loading and unloading but also frequent downtime for maintenance, severely impacting the port's continuous operational capacity.

Solution: Customized European DRS Travel Wheel System

To address these challenges, our engineering team developed a comprehensive drive solution tailored to their needs, based on the European DRS wheel assembly. Key configurations of the solution included:

• Wheel Assembly Selection: DRS400-type high-strength ductile iron (GGG 70) wheel assemblies were used, with a single-wheel load capacity of 32 tons, fully meeting the demanding requirements of container handling.

• Flange Configuration: Double flanges were installed on the drive wheels to counteract track deformation and strong winds, significantly enhancing operational safety by effectively preventing derailment.

• Connection Method: A side connection (W-type) design was adopted, allowing the wheel assembly to be quickly and securely integrated with the crane’s existing metal structure, greatly simplifying on-site installation and commissioning.

Results and Value Delivered

Since the system upgrade was completed, the port operations team observed immediate improvements:

• Significant Efficiency Gains: The smooth operation of the wheel assemblies, with quick start and stop response, reduced the average handling cycle per container by 18%, increasing overall yard efficiency by over 30%.

• Drastic Reduction in Maintenance Costs: Thanks to the built-in wear indicator on the wheel flanges, the maintenance team can implement predictive maintenance, avoiding unplanned downtime. The exceptional wear resistance of the wheel assemblies extended maintenance intervals from 3 months to over 12 months, reducing annual maintenance costs by approximately 45%.

• Enhanced Operational Safety and Stability: Even under adverse weather conditions, the cranes now operate smoothly and position accurately, completely resolving previous issues of "creeping" and jerking. This ensures reliable support for 24/7 continuous operations.

Customer Testimonial

The Port Equipment Manager commented: The results of this drive system upgrade have exceeded our expectations. The DRS wheel assembly is not just a component—it is important for our gantry cranes. Its outstanding stability and extremely low failure rate have become a critical support for our port’s high-efficiency operations.”