Advantages & Standout Features of Mobile Harbour Crane

1. Space-Saving Design
   The compact gantry structure takes up less space on the pier. This allows several cranes to work next to each other on the same ship. The rotating columns use rolling bearings to reduce tail swing. This helps operations run smoothly even in busy ports.

   
   

2. Works in Different Ways
   It has four main functions: lifting, rotating (360°), luffing, and moving. This makes it easy to handle many types of cargo—like containers and bulk materials—using hooks or grabs.

   
   

3. Better Efficiency
   Extra tools such as telescopic funnels and belt conveyors can be added to handle loose materials faster. Balanced luffing systems and accurate controls help shorten loading and unloading time.

   
   

4. Works in Many Places
   Besides ports, this crane is also used in shipyards and hydropower sites. It is built strong and can work well in different industrial environments.

   
   

5. Strong Safety Systems
   It includes load and moment limiters, rail clamps, and electrical safety devices. It meets the CCS standards (2007 "Ships and Offshore Installations Lifting Equipment Code" and 2010 updates) for safe and reliable operation.

   
   

6. Easy to Move and Adjust
   The gantry base has wheels that allow the crane to change position easily. It fits well in both fixed and changing port layouts, and can be moved quickly when needed.

   
   

7. Heavy Lifting Ability
   Built for lifting heavy loads, it has a strong jib system (single or combined booms) that stays stable even while rotating or luffing.

   
   

8. Easy to Use
   The driver’s cab is comfortable and user-friendly. Advanced electrical systems like PLC controls make operation simpler and reduce mistakes.

A portal crane is a large type of port handling equipment. Its main structure includes a gate-shaped base and a boom system that can rotate 360°. It works through four main mechanisms: hoisting, luffing, rotating, and travelling. This allows efficient loading and unloading.

Portal cranes are a common type of rail-mounted slewing crane. They look like a gate, so they are also called “gate cranes”. The gate-shaped base runs on ground tracks. Above it, a rotating boom can perform hoisting, slewing, luffing, and travelling motions. Vehicles such as trains or trucks can pass under the gate structure. This makes it possible to load and unload directly between ship and vehicle.

Portal cranes are known for their good appearance, safe operation, advanced performance, easy maintenance, and long service life. They are widely used in port terminals for handling various types of cargo. They are especially common in general-purpose and bulk cargo terminals. In fact, they are one of the most used crane types in many ports.

For example, one port uses 12 portal cranes moving along 700 meters of track. They frequently perform hoisting, luffing, and rotating motions to handle containers. On 8 of these cranes, 5 cameras each are installed for video monitoring. NVR recorders are also used to store video footage.

A custom high-bandwidth wireless communication system by Duobeiton transmits live video to the central control room. Managers can monitor whether operators follow correct procedures, check the status of crane mechanisms, and track loading progress. This supports smart safety management across the port—covering people, vehicles, and equipment.

Port crane operations face complex and changing conditions. Wireless communication can be affected by weather, noise, and electromagnetic interference. The thick metal structure of cranes can also block or weaken wireless signals. It is important to ensure signals can penetrate or go around metal obstacles. In addition, multi-channel monitoring and NVR recording can require up to 80Mbps bandwidth. This demands highly stable and high-capacity wireless communication.

After surveying the working area and distance to the control room, the 8 cranes were divided into four groups. 12 sets of Duobeiton industrial wireless devices were used to build high-bandwidth video links. To support 360° rotation and transmission over 50–350 meters, both omnidirectional and directional antennas were installed. Using point-to-multipoint network mode, video is sent back to fiber nodes. This allows the control room to receive real-time footage from the cranes, upgrading traditional monitoring to smart and visual management.

Duobeiton wireless devices are built for industrial use. They are designed to perform in harsh port conditions. With up to 866Mbps bandwidth, they support smooth transmission of multiple HD videos. High power output (1W) and high-gain antennas strengthen signal coverage. Anti-interference and real-time channel scanning features avoid electromagnetic noise in the port. These features ensure stable video transmission even during rotation and movement of the cranes. This provides strong wireless support for smart port development.

Portal cranes are full-slewing cranes mounted on a gate-shaped frame that moves on ground tracks. They are one of the universal crane types used at quay fronts. Railway cars and road vehicles can pass under the gate. Many bulk terminals in China still use this type of crane.

Portal cranes are relatively fixed in location and can serve various handling tasks between ship and shore, ship and truck, or ship to ship. They are very versatile: they can use a clamshell grab for sand and gravel, a spreader for containers, or a hook for general cargo. Outside China, mobile harbor cranes are gradually replacing portal cranes. However, in some ports, portal cranes are still working reliably.