World-first 5G-controlled intermodal cranes

A new intermodal terminal in Fényeslitke, Hungary, is set to become one of the largest and most modern terminals in Europe. The innovative crane technology for this comes from Kuenz, a market leader for intermodal container cranes.

East-West Intermodal Logistics Ltd has 125 hectares of land at its disposal in Fényeslitke, Hungary, near the Ukrainian and Slovakian border. The aim is to develop this site into the most modern and largest hub on the Silk Road. To meet this goal, the company has chosen a technology leader, Kuenz, to supply the yard lifting equipment.

Three Kuenz Intermodal Cranes and one Freerider rubber tyred gantry (RTG) crane will handle up to 1 million TEU per year. The terminal and the cranes will mainly be used for the handling of wide gauge to narrow gauge rail cars. Two of the RMGs will be designed as gantry cranes with a single-sided usable cantilever with a rail gauge of 21m and a cantilever length of 11.5m. The third, larger crane, will be designed with usable cantilevers on both sides; rail gauge is 40.15m and cantilever length on each side is 10m.

A RTG Kuenz Freerider will be delivered for the storage area. The Kuenz RTG’s aerodynamic design not only provides more stability, it is also designed to move fully loaded containers at very high speeds in all travel directions, as well as in the gantry direction. The specially developed hoisting system is equipped with an integrated micro motion system for maximum flexibility and productivity.

The cranes will handle all types of containers as well as semi-trailers and swap bodies.

Kuenz has been considered a technology leader in the intermodal sector for decades and was, therefore, a suitable partner for the delivery of the equipment for this unique terminal. All four Kuenz cranes have a high level of automation and are operated via remote control stations – no cabins are mounted on the cranes. For the first time ever in intermodal terminals, data is to be transmitted to remote-controlled cranes via 5G technology.

The new East West Gate in Fényeslitke will be the first intermodal combined transport terminal in the world to use its own 5G network for internal communication and operation of its cranes.  The systems will be delivered before the end of this year. After a test phase, the terminal is scheduled to go into operation at the beginning of 2022.

Founded in 1932, Kuenz is an Austrian based crane manufacturer. The company offers innovative and efficient solutions for container handling in intermodal operation and automated stacking cranes for port and rail yard operations. Today, Kuenz is a market  leader in intermodal, rail-mounted gantry cranes in Europe and North America.  While the  group’s  headquarters is located in Hard, Austria, additional  fabrication  facilities  are located in Gross St. Florian, Austria and Kechnec, Slovak Republic. Kuenz America, Inc is the group’s sales and service organisation in North America. Kuenz expanded again in 2018, adding another sales office in Agrate Brianza, Italy.

East-West Gate (EWG) Terminal will be the continent’s first land-based intermodal combi terminal based on track change and green technology using its own 5G network. Built at one of the strategic points in the economic corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative in Hungary, the EWG can play a key role in delivering goods between Asia and Europe on an alternative route, faster and in larger quantities than before. The theoretical capacity of the terminal is 1 million TEU per year. EWG will provide a full range of logistics services and when the operations starts, it will offer customers 15,000 square meters of leasable warehouse space. The trial operation of the facility is scheduled to begin in January 2022, while its final handover is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022.