Volvo Penta and Konecranes lift the RTG into a new era

Volvo Penta and Konecranes lift the RTG into a new era

With the help of Volvo Penta, Konecranes has revolutionized the traditional rubber tyred gantry crane (RTG), heralding a new age for the container handling industry.


In April 2014, at Singapore’s TOC Asia, the Finnish company Konecranes introduced the Boxhunter RTG to the market. The product is revolutionary for the container handling industry, as it places the operator cabin down next to the truck lane. Konecranes reinvented the RTG operating concept, offering customers a combined balance of performance and price. The Boxhunter will be particularly beneficial for a new RTG customer segment – businesses that won’t use the crane continuously and where quick access to the cabin for the operator is needed. Businesses with inland logistics operations will be interested.

Volvo Penta and Konecranes maintain a strong industry partnership that stretches back more than three decades. In 2005, Volvo Penta supported Konecranes’s development of a variable speed genset for RTG applications. The result was improved functionality and new levels of eco-efficiency for RTG operations.

Boxhunter runs on a Volvo Penta TAD1341GE power pack, a powerful, reliable and economical 13-liter powergen diesel engine built on the dependable Volvo in-line six concept.

“The engine offers 342kVA on prime power and 377 kVA on standby power, at 60 hz/1,800 rpm, which provides low maintenance and fuel-consumption costs for the end user,” notes Jonas Nilsson, Volvo Penta sales manager.

“Volvo Penta has long been one of our most trusted business and technology partners,” Svend Videbæk, Konecranes product marketing specialist, explains. “With its fuel-efficient, reliable, modern engines and excellent aftermarket service, Volvo Penta offers Konecranes the perfect balance between quality and affordability – a concept Boxhunter was also designed around.”

A modern crane for a modern container yard
The ground-breaking design of the Boxhunter RTG ensures it is both affordable and innovative. Now, for the first time in RTG history, the operator can sit and work in an ergonomic heads-up position down in the truck lane, with direct line of sight to all the truck loading and unloading action. In addition, the new concept employs video cameras and lasers to provide the operator with complete visibility over every container move.

The repositioned cabin also keeps costs down – a key driver in the design process. The hoisting machinery was also brought down along with the cabin. By reimagining the design of an RTG, the overall structure of the crane was simplified. The concept is very standard, with no optional features, which also lowers costs.

“This is a modern crane for a modern container yard,” Svend notes. “In markets where traditional RTGs are not always suitable, Boxhunter will be very attractive. Some of our customers were initially cautious about the new design, which is understandable in a conservative industry, but the benefits of Boxhunter are becoming obvious.

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