TOC Europe: The AGM for port and cargo professionals

When: 13 - 15 June 2023
Where: Rotterdam Ahoy Centre
More info: www.tocevents-europe.com

Billed as “the AGM for port and cargo supply chain professionals, where they can access C-level decision-makers and influencers, engineers, automation leads, digitalisation specialists and more,” TOC Europe is set to take place from 13-15 June 2023 in the Netherlands at the Rotterdam Ahoy Centre.

Among the 150-plus exhibitors (at the time of going to press) attending the trade fair will be Sany Europe, which will be showcasing a new all-electric SRSC45E5 reach stacker on its 70m² stand. The reach stacker offers low energy consumption, ensuring “significant” cost savings in continuous operation, and is equipped with a dual charging plug.

Sany Europe specialists will also take the time to engage in technical discussions and detailed advice. Coffee, Chinese beer, and a Chinese-style lunch snack will also be offered.

Kalmar is also looking to an electric future at TOC Europe, saying that it wants to help “customers and partners embark on their journey toward fully electric cargo-handling operations”. At the show, the company will be demonstrating new “cutting-edge technologies and innovations, unlocking opportunities for safer, more sustainable, and more productive cargo handling”. There will be a demo presentation starting every half an hour at the stand. In addition, Kalmar will have two more significant product introductions at the stand. The company will also be speaking about alternative fuels and clean technologies.

Like Sany Europe, Konecranes will be drawing the attention of visitors to a reach stacker – in this instance, its new SMV 128 TC6 for semi-laden and empty containers that can handle up to 12 tons. The company says the new equipment “offers customers the flexibility to handle a wider variety of lighter containers with safety and efficiency”. Also, a new, stronger combi spreader, for the handling of laden ISO containers and trailers, is now available for Konecranes reach stackers designed for intermodal operations. “These lift trucks combine a long wheelbase with excellent manoeuvrability. The ability to handle bigger loads adds strength and flexibility to daily operations, raising productivity by moving more in less time,” the company says.

Intermodal reach stackers are available with two Konecranes Ecolifting options to lower carbon emissions. Firstly, Flow Drive reduces CO2, fuel consumption, and costs by up to 25% using a hydromechanical variable transmission and a “unique” engine compartment design. Secondly, all new-generation Konecranes reach stackers can run on HVO100, a 100% renewable and fossil-free chemical copy of regular diesel that can reduce fossil-based carbon emissions by up to 90%. Besides these Ecolifting options, the new intermodal reach stackers are fitted with TruConnect Basic hardware, allowing users to monitor their fleet in near-real-time and get insights into the asset’s conditions, operational efficiency (including emissions), and productivity through the yourKonecranes.com customer portal.

“Lift truck technology is constantly advancing,” says Patrik Lundbäck, vice president, sales and distribution, Lift Trucks, Konecranes. “Innovations and upgrades improve the safety, productivity and fuel efficiency of our equipment and provide our customers with an ever-expanding range of options. Our aim is to help them to build a reliable, high-performance lift truck fleet for the specific needs of their own worlds.”

Having its own stand at TOC Europe for the first time this year – and excited by the prospect – is JLT Mobile Computers, a developer of computing solutions for demanding environments.

One of the highlights at the JLT stand will be the JLT6012 vehicle-mount computer, which, since its recent processor upgrade and the option to add 4G or 5G WWAN (Wireless Wide Area Network), the firm says “is an optimum choice for ports customers”. Network performance is also improved, with a new chipset that offers Wi-Fi 6E capabilities and Bluetooth 5.2. Audio capabilities have been modified too.

The power supply, meanwhile, removes the need for an external power hook-up in almost all vehicles. Furthermore, a range of integrated sensors opens up possibilities for multiple forms of operational data capture, which can, in the future, be collated, contextualised, and shared/ displayed by the data-driven software dashboard JLT Insights, a brand-new feature that is in development.

Like the models it supersedes, the technology and operational enhancements are isolated from the elements thanks to JLT’s ruggedised design – the industry’s most compact, the company claims – which has helped previous generations operate “flawlessly in some incredibly demanding environments”.

Another important facet of the JLT6012’s rugged capabilities is JLT’s PowerTouch PCT screen technology, which delivers a tough operator interface without sacrificing user input capabilities – even with gloves on.

“Quick and easy login, RFID-tag integration, high-brightness displays with adjustable auto-dimming for both indoor and outdoor usage, and easily accessed programmable function buttons make the user experience second to none in terms of ease of use and productivity,” says the firm.

“The markets we serve are seeing their operational dynamics constantly changing,” says Christian Funk, director of product management at JLT Mobile Computers. “New technology, tighter legislation, a wider variety, and the explosion in digital capabilities are all compounding the need for our customers to work smarter, faster, and more accurately. This new model illustrates our continual improvement efforts, with a target of keeping one step ahead of these customers’ needs.”

CM Labs Simulations will showcase its range of training solutions for port terminals at TOC Europe. The training solutions for port terminals include ship-to-shore cranes, straddle carriers, empty container handlers, reach stackers, ship pedestal cranes, mobile harbour cranes, and more.

CM Labs incorporates physics-based tech that provides an advanced and realistic experience for operators using both seaside and quayside equipment. Through simulation, junior operators can learn equipment controls and gain muscle memory in a controlled environment. The company says that reporting shows that a simulation training program can raise trainee success rates close to 99% when training to become full-fledged crane operators.

Simulation can also be used to assess new hires to determine placement and to help prepare current operators to move up to more difficult equipment. Users have the ability to tailor the simulation solution based on the port environment, including lane configuration, delivery options, as well as vessel and equipment sizes.

“With the increased pressure on the supply chain, ports and terminals need skilled operators who can be efficient and effective while working in a dynamic and unpredictable environment,” the company says.

CONTENT PROGRAMME TOC

Europe’s content programme will be delivered at four themed content areas: the Tech TOC Theatre, Business Intelligence Theatre, Sustainability Theatre, and Digital Theatre. There will also be a Safety Village, where visitors can learn from experts in risk management, attend workshops on the most common areas of risk for the transport and logistics industry, submit their greatest safety concerns, and meet suppliers of innovative safety solutions.

The types of talks given at the Tech TOC Theatre include Understanding Automation. It examines questions such as the right level of automation, what the main challenges are faced by ports and terminals looking to automate their processes and equipment, and how automated technologies can optimise procedures within the supply chain.

In the Future of Container Terminal Operations: Exploring the Transformative Value of Artificial Intelligence, issues such as how AI transforms terminal operations and adds value for its customers, and measuring the return on investment (ROI) of AI in terminal operations, will be addressed.

Safer Port Operations, meanwhile, will look at, among other subjects, integrating safety technology into operational workflows and measuring its ROI, while Port Equipment Maintenance and Damage Detection will explore the new technologies that can enhance equipment maintenance, how these can be incorporated into already existing operational processes, and the benefits of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Visitors should make their way to the Business Intelligence Theatre for a Market Outlook, which will cover how Brexit is affecting trade for Europe and the UK, assess the effects of international geopolitics and protectionist measures upon maritime trade, and discuss how inflation and recession are affecting supply chains and maritime trade.

Other talks given in the Business Intelligence Theatre include New Trends in Port Infrastructure Development, Forecasting the Evolution of the Supply Chain, and Finance and Strategic Investment.

For the latest updates in maritime green legislation and to discover how industry stakeholders can adapt to them, head over to the Sustainability Theatre for the Green Legislation discussion. It will also look at how a regulatory framework can enable and incentivise the adoption of low-carbon and net-zero fuels, and ask whether maritime regulations on their own can lay the groundwork to increase investment in renewable energy infrastructure.

In the same theatre, Energy Transition Across the Supply Chain will ask the following: what projects, partnerships and initiatives are being launched to decarbonise the maritime and logistics sector? How can governments, port authorities, terminal operators, cargo owners, equipment manufacturers, and other stakeholders articulate their green efforts? And how can technology, port infrastructure, and equipment enable the decarbonisation of the supply chain?

The fascinating-sounding Sustainable Profit for Maritime and Logistics, meanwhile, asks what it means to be sustainable and how sustainability can become profitable. It also promises to demystify sustainability in maritime and logistics.

Finally, the Digital Theatre will be home to the likes of Digitalising the Supply Network, which poses the questions of what the main challenges are ahead of the digitalisation of the supply chain and how we can achieve true paperless trade.

Innovative Digital Solutions will address the latest digital developments that will bring the maritime and logistics sector forward; integrating novel technologies into digital infrastructure in ports and terminals; and how new technologies can be integrated into digital infrastructure at each level of the supply chain to enhance connectivity and efficiency.

Also worth attending is Cybersecurity Resilience. This talk will cover what is understood by cybersecurity implementation in the maritime and logistics sector and who is accountable for it. Other issues to be raised include the business implications of an effective cybersecurity strategy in port communities, how ports and terminals are incorporating cybersecurity protocols into their daily operations to ensure resilience, and whether it is possible to insure data as well as cargo and staff.

Confirmed speakers at the show represent a range of companies, including Konecranes, Siemens, ZPMC, Eurogate Technical Services, Kuenz, Liebherr, Kalmar, and a host of others.