Ship to Shore Crane System for Ports America Tampa, Florida, U.S.A. – Case Study

PROJECT SUMMARY
  • Project: Ports America Expansion
  • Location: Tampa, Florida
  • Application: Ship to Shore (STS) Container Handling Cranes
NIDEC'S ROLE

Nidec Conversion was selected to supply the complete electrical package for two new cranes manufactured by ZPMC and supplied to Ports America in Tampa, Florida. Nidec supplied the complete electrical package from the Medium Voltage (MV) Switchgear to the AC motors.
Nidec provided a custom solution to meet the overall needs of the customer. System components like the GEFANUC Programmable Logic Control system were supplied to match those used in upgrades of the port’s existing cranes.

Scope of Supply
Tampa, Florida
THE CHALLENGE
To Maintain Servicing Customers with Growing Ship Sizes

Ports America operates the only container terminal at the Port of Tampa. Florida has a large consumer population that is serviced by eleven ports around the Florida coast. These ports provide several options for shipping companies to bring their cargo to market. Ports America’s Tampa facility is the only major container port on the gulf side of Florida. It is strategically located to service the third largest city in Florida. With the widening of the Panama Canal, larger ships are being used to bring cargo to Florida. This has driven a need for larger cranes. Ports America needed to upsize to larger cranes if they were going to stay competitive in the market.

THE SOLUTION
New Ship to Shore Cranes from ZPMC

Ports America selected ZPMC with a Nidec Conversion AC drive system for the project. Nidec provided a control system that was similar in layout to a crane recently upgraded at the facility. This allowed the customer to utilize existing knowledge, training and Nidec’s locally based parts and support to maintain the cranes.