Rauma automates the paper flow

In-Depth 1 Sep 2003 by WCN Editorial

After two years of development, the pilot Autoload installation, a fullyautomated handling system for paper reels which dispenses with clamp truck unloading of rail wagons, has been unveiled by Oy Rauma Stevedoring in the Port of Rauma. The system is being trialled by Rauma Stevedoring’s parent group, UPM-Kymmene, for exports from its Kajaani mill to the UK, via Tilbury.

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According to Jussi Sarvikas, UPMKymmene’s vice president, logistics, the company’s goal across all its reel output range is to cut the number of handlings between mill and customer from 15-20 today to just 4-7 by 2010. The rôle that Autoload can play in this will be carefully assessed over the next year or so. Autoload relies on a series of transfer platforms, fork loaders and sliding fork loaders to enable batches of reels to be transferred from the wagons to a ro-ro cassette. After loading, the cassette is transferred by terminal tractor/translifter combination to the warehouse, to await ro-ro (or, more commonly in Rauma today, storo) loading of the ship.

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This complete item is approximately 1480 words in length, and appeared in the September 2003 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 43. To access this issue download the PDF here.