MARKET REPORT | STS CRANES
field operations with all-electric drives,” says Alexandros Stogianidis, regional sales manager at Konecranes. “Through detailed technical discussions we demonstrated the unparalleled combination of performance, reliability and sustainability provided by this Konecranes technology.”
A STAR FOR SAFETY Naturally, another major market driver remains safety. Mi-Jack Europe is addressing this through its equipment- agnostic port automation solutions known as Mi-Star. The Mi-Star suite of solutions includes collision avoidance, virtual terminal visualisation, inventory management, and fleet monitoring solutions. A recent example of its work in the STS market segment is the EUROGATE Container Terminal in Hamburg, which is setting new standards in container handling with its modern container cranes and flexible straddle carriers. Only 115km separate the city from the North Sea, meaning Hamburg serves as a key gateway to other European economic centres. To further improve the terminal’s efficiency, EUROGATE wanted to enable safe, simultaneous collaboration between humans and machines in the STS backreach. Traditionally, pinning work was conducted in the backreach with the container still attached to the spreader. This set-up ensured worker safety, as straddle carriers couldn’t approach while the container was attached to the spreader. However, this approach reduced
Mi-Jack Europe’s equipment-agnostic port automation solutions, known as Mi-Star.
crane availability, leading to operational inefficiencies. To optimise operations, EUROGATE introduced support jacks to hold containers independently, allowing crane operations to continue while pinning was in progress. However, this created a new challenge, as straddle carriers could now approach the container regardless of whether workers were there performing pinning – a clear safety risk. To bridge this safety gap, EUROGATE installed a customised tracking solution by Mi-Jack Europe as a proof of concept. Through the Mi-Star solution, workers could be equipped with AccuTrack hat tags indicating whether they are within the straddle carrier travel lanes. Additionally, a traffic light system would alert straddle carrier drivers when pinning workers are in the area, ensuring safe operations at all times.
AccuTrack works by using tags
integrated into personnel helmets, with the corresponding readers and sensor technology incorporated into in all dockside operational equipment. This means that personnel and straddle carriers can now work simultaneously and safely in the backreach area of the STS crane, helping to reduce container movements per container. To ensure safety, Mi-Jack has divided the backreach area into two zones. In the Safe Zone, its AccuTrack system recognises the position of tagged personnel. It sends direct feedback by displaying a green traffic light, meaning that the straddle carrier can continue operating. Conversely, in the Unsafe Zone, if AccuTrack identifies tagged personnel it will display a red-light section warning. The driver must then stop and wait for those workers to leave the area before the signal turns green. Mi-Jack Europe completed this proof
The Eurogate container terminal in Hamburg, Germany. © calado /
Shutterstock.com xxviii | April 2025 | Dockside Lift & Move Supplement
of concept for EUROGATE in September, achieving clear results. This included the main objective of increasing crane availability while maintaining worker safety, meaning simultaneous operations between straddle carriers and personnel in the backreach. The system demonstrated enhanced visibility of personnel in high-risk work environments, while also integrating the new technology into established workflows. For Mi-Jack, this is just the first step in its penetration of the STS market. Stephan Trauth, general manager of Mi-Jack Europe GmbH, says: “The EUROGATE project marks the beginning of our efforts in the STS field. Through our technology, we enable safe human-machine interaction and consequently improve the operational availability of the terminal.”
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