The Benefits of Road and Rail
Specialised Container Agencies (SCA) manufactures niche market container products that ensure safe and efficient off-loading of materials from both rail wagons and road trucks. This equipment improves efficiencies, lowers operating costs and protects product integrity during bulk handling.
“SCA focuses on the design of containerised bulk material handling products for high-speed, heavy-haul and intermodal functions for both road and rail infrastructure. Although the company supports the global initiative to move freight transport from road to rail, we believe in a combination of the benefits of rail and road transport,” says Ken Mouritzen, director, Specialised Container Agencies.
“Key advantages of rail infrastructure over road transport, include less long-haul bulk traffic on national roads, resulting in reduced congestion and decreased wear of road surfaces. Other benefits are improved safety for drivers and cargo, decreased road-related freight emissions and reduced insurance premiums throughout the logistics chain.
“Locally-manufactured SCA equipment includes the newly-launched SCA Tippler for fast unloading of open-top containers, of either half or full height; the Big Tipper – a 12 m Elevated Container Tipper Frame (ECTF) and the 4-Way Tipper – a versatile tipping frame compatible with most 6 m/20 ft skeletal trailers. Also in the range are Intermodal Side Tipper Bins for rapid off-loading of materials from rail wagons and road trucks and Side-Tip Reception Feeders that receive bulk materials directly from tipping trucks and loading shovels.”
The new SCA Tippler has been developed for the efficient unloading of containerised material from open-top containers. This advanced system allows for fast and efficient engagement, unloading and repositioning of closely-spaced ISO-sized open-top containers, from road or rail transport wagons. Once the container is safely engaged, the control system takes over full functionality to lift, unload and reposition the empty container, without the need for operator intervention.
This bulk material transport system, which ensures ease of loading, handling and transport by either road or rail, enables traditionally locked-in markets, including miners and producers, to deliver material batches to terminals for export.
SCA plans to soon launch a fully-mechanised tippler system, with automatic container position detection, engagement, unloading and re-positioning.
The SCA 4-Way Tipper, which complies with legal road limits in terms of weight and height, is a versatile tipping frame that uses a simple ‘plug-and-play’ standard air and hydraulic interface. This machine can easily tip in four directions – front, back, right and left – of any bin, container or accessory with a standard 6 m/20ft ISO container bottom interface, by simply locking any two of the four corners or hinge points of the frame.
The SCA Big Tipper, with a modular tipping frame, has been designed to tip a 12 m container, with a gross mass of up to 32 000 kg, 50° to one side. This ECTF is a fully functioning unit and does not require any external electric or hydraulic systems to function. An elevated, loose-standing frame facilitates tipping of any container or accessory with a standard 40 ft ISO container bottom interface. This system also reduces unloading time and fuel costs as the truck is easily manoeuvred to the correct position to off-load, requiring less space to operate.
SCA Intermodal Side Tipper Bins provide efficient bulk handling rail solutions, encouraging greater utilisation of rail wagon container haulage. What’s notable is this intermodal side tipper bin system increases payload on rail wagons – from 54 metric tons to 60 metric tons. A single tipper bin is able to hold 30 metric tons for road transport. Robust intermodal side tipper bins are easily handled onto container rail wagons and road trucks by a container handler.
An important feature of these intermodal side tipper bins – which can be stacked two-high for storage – is they can be used across different modes of transport, including road and rail, without the need for investment in double handling cargo. In areas that are not fully serviced by rail, the intermodal side tipper can be loaded onto road transport, for closed loop, short-haul operations. Road vehicles are then used to carry the tipper bin containing bulk material to the railhead. This means cargo can be received at non-rail serviced facilities, for example on mines and in terminals and ports.
SCA’s tracked or wheeled Side Tip Reception Feeders for road and rail side-tip vehicles, receive bulk materials directly from tipping trucks and loading shovels, providing a buffer storage capacity and a controlled rate discharge.
This system, which is a flexible alternative to traditional underground hoppers, is installed above ground, with no need for deep pits and costly civil engineering works. A wide belt design means any material can be reliably conveyed without the risk of bridging or blockage.
SCA provides a technical advisory and support service throughout the African continent, as well as Internationally.
Aspasa, Nico Pienaar, Tel: (011) 791 3327, Fax: 086 647 8034, Email: nico@aspasa.co.za, Web: www.aspasa.co.za
