Краны for Container Terminals: RMG/RTG Selection Guide
Container terminals live and die by throughput per berth and per hectare. When you are specifying a rail-mounted gantry (RMG) or rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) for the yard, the decision comes down to three variables: how high and wide you need to stack, how much automation you can absorb, and what cycle time your vessel proforma demands. This guide breaks down the practical selection criteria, with concrete configurations from Chunhua Crane's gantry range and the trade-offs buyers in 60+ countries weigh before signing.
1. Start With Stacking Geometry, Not Tonnage
Yard cranes are rarely load-limited. A 40 ft ISO container grosses about 30.5 t, and most terminal spreaders add 8–10 t, so a 40–41 t safe working load covers the vast majority of box handling. What actually drives your model choice is the stacking envelope:
- 1-over-3 (4 high): typical for RTG yards with moderate land cost; lifting height around 15.5 m.
- 1-over-4 (5 high): common in transshipment hubs; requires roughly 18–21 m under spreader.
- 1-over-5 (6 high): high-density yards and automated terminals; 21 m+ lift, heavier sill beams.
- Span: 6 rows + 1 truck lane (approx. 23.5 m) is the RTG standard; RMG yards often run 7–10 rows plus twin cantilevers to eliminate internal truck traffic.
Chunhua's MG double-girder gantry platform scales to these envelopes with box-girder construction in Q345B, and RMG rail-mounted container gantries are configured to your rail gauge, cantilever reach, and stacking height rather than forced into a catalogue size.
2. RMG vs RTG: The Real Cost Split
RMG — rail-mounted container gantry
RMGs run on fixed rails, usually with a 6–10 m cantilever on each side so the crane can serve a truck lane and a rail siding without moving the yard. Because the load path is fixed and the machine is electrically driven, RMGs are the default choice for automation: laser/optical scanning, anti-sway, and automatic stacking (Auto-Positioning) are far easier to implement on rails than on tyres.
- Best for: high-density yards, automated or semi-automated terminals, rail intermodal interfaces.
- Watch: civil works for rails and power supply (conductor rail or cable reel) are front-loaded capex.
RTG — rubber-tyred gantry
RTGs steer on 8 or 16 wheels and can shift between blocks, which suits phased expansion and yards where rail infrastructure is impractical. Diesel-electric or hybrid drives are now standard; pure diesel is increasingly restricted by port emission rules.
- Best for: brownfield terminals, phased build-out, yards with irregular block layouts.
- Watch: tyre wear, steering alignment, and higher maintenance per TEU than RMG.
3. Automation: Match the Level to Your Labour and IT Reality
Automation is a spectrum, not a switch. A realistic ladder:
- Level 0–1: manual joystick with anti-sway and load positioning display. Lowest risk, fastest commissioning.
- Level 2: semi-automatic — operator picks the slot, crane auto-travels and auto-stacks. Cuts cycle time 15–25% and reduces mis-stacks.
- Level 3: remote operation from a control room (one operator, multiple cranes). Requires reliable video, low-latency network, and a TOS interface.
- Level 4: fully automated RMG with exception handling. Only viable with a mature Terminal Operating System and strict yard discipline.
For smart unmanned requirements, Chunhua's QDS smart overhead platform and RMG automation packages integrate Schneider/Siemens/ABB drives and PLCs with SEW gearboxes, so the control architecture matches what your TOS and maintenance team already know. If your terminal has no TOS-driven slotting yet, buy Level 1–2 and leave the automation interface pre-wired — retrofitting later is cheaper than over-specifying now.
4. Throughput Math You Can Use
Nameplate speed is not throughput. A workable estimate for a single RMG/RTG cycle:
- Hoist speed: 40–60 m/min (loaded), 60–90 m/min (empty).
- Trolley speed: 60–90 m/min.
- Козловой кран travel: 60–90 m/min (RMG), 25–35 m/min (RTG).
- Realistic moves per hour: 22–28 for a skilled manual operator; 28–35 for semi-automatic; 30–40 for a mature automated RMG.
Multiply by 16–20 effective hours per day and 85–90% availability. That tells you how many cranes your berth proforma actually needs — usually fewer than buyers assume, but with better redundancy planning.
5. Specification Checklist Before You Запросить цену
- Container size mix (20/40/45 ft), max gross weight, and spreader type (fixed or telescopic).
- Stacking height and rows, span, cantilever, and rail gauge (RMG) or wheelbase/steering mode (RTG).
- Power supply: voltage, frequency, conductor rail vs cable reel vs diesel-electric genset.
- Design standard: GB/T 3811 as base; FEM 1.001, DIN 15018 or CMAA #70 on request for export markets.
- Сертификация target: CE, EAC (TR CU 010/020), GCC/SASO, SONCAP, KEBS, or CCC — confirm before fabrication, not after.
- Automation level and TOS interface protocol.
- Spare parts package, local service capability, and warranty terms.
6. Why Buyers Source От the Anhui Кран Belt
Hefei Chunhua Hoisting Machinery Co., Ltd has manufactured in the Anhui industrial crane belt since 2003, with 5 категории продуктов and 81 standard models covering верхнеподвесные краны (LD single-girder 0.5–20 t through QD double-girder 5–150 t and YZ metallurgical 5–125 t), козловые краны (MH, MG, RMG, shipbuilding), интеллектуальные системы парковки, KBK light rails and jib cranes, and industrial манипуляторы. Components come from Schneider, Siemens, ABB and SEW; steel is Q345B/Q235B.
For export buyers, the practical advantages are no MOQ, a 4-hour quote SLA, 30–45 day production, and a 12-month warranty, with documentation prepared for CE, EAC, GCC/SASO, SONCAP and KEBS markets.
Next step: send your stacking height, span, container mix and target certification to yuhua0095@gmail.com or WhatsApp +86 193 9277 7259 for a configuration and budget figure within four hours.