The application of semi-automated gantry cranes in empty container depots

<p>Purpose – The storage and supply of empty containers is a bottleneck in the global supply chain. In the wake of increasing containerisation and globalisation, improving efficiencies of processing within empty container depots can realise efficiencies. The overall objective of this research project is to propose an efficient and effective solution for reducing waste in an empty container depot using a crane. The issue of applying gantry cranes to empty container depots will cover both an operational and a strategic evaluation of the following research questions: 1) What are the potential solutions for a specific yard based on lean thinking, and which solution should be used within the constraints and contexts of this yard? 2) Who are the key stakeholders, and what are their stakes while implementing the solution in the yard to reduce waste? Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature around empty container depots revealed that while lean operations have been applied to manufacturing, warehousing, and ports, it has not yet been applied to empty container depots. Whereas warehouses primarily deal with stock-holding and ports deal with quayside operations, empty container depots act as a conduit between consignors and consignees. In the vein of American Pragmatism, Design Science Research, and Strategy-as-Practice, this thesis shows that in the context of empty container depots a gantry crane is an artefact that can create efficiencies, reduce costs, as well as explore further effects on the organisation and its wider geo-political habitus. Case Study – A New Zealand company that handles roughly half a million TEUs per annum cooperated with this study. The study was conducted by analysing data from four working depots (Auckland, Tauranga, Napier) selected to illustrate variations in container volumes, types of flows (imports, exports, seasonality), and depot layouts. The current operations of these depots were analysed using lean operations, value stream mapping, and operations interwork centre flow graphs. Of the four sites identified, one (the Auckland OCP site) was shown to achieve the greatest results from a gantry crane. The results of the analysis were then used to develop a potential solution in which waste was identified and eliminated, primarily around excess handling and land utilisation. Findings – A key finding was that efficiency gains differ from site to site based on their unique demands and overall layouts. Furthermore, changes towards the current yard using gantry cranes need to be implemented incrementally based on continuous improvement. This is due to practical constraints around operations, culture change, cashflow management, the acquisition of capital, and broader market/stakeholder influences. Originality/value – The practical applications of this research case are scalable on a vast level. The effects of this research are explored in how the introduction of an artefact affects the organisation, its vision of itself, its strategies, and the broader supply chain in which this organisation operates. The results are further re-contextualisted in order to offer a holistic view of an artefact in its situated environment.</p>

The application of semi-automated gantry cranes in empty container depots

<p>Purpose – The storage and supply of empty containers is a bottleneck in the global supply chain. In the wake of increasing containerisation and globalisation, improving efficiencies of processing within empty container depots can realise efficiencies. The overall objective of this research project is to propose an efficient and effective solution for reducing waste in an empty container depot using a crane. The issue of applying gantry cranes to empty container depots will cover both an operational and a strategic evaluation of the following research questions: 1) What are the potential solutions for a specific yard based on lean thinking, and which solution should be used within the constraints and contexts of this yard? 2) Who are the key stakeholders, and what are their stakes while implementing the solution in the yard to reduce waste? Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature around empty container depots revealed that while lean operations have been applied to manufacturing, warehousing, and ports, it has not yet been applied to empty container depots. Whereas warehouses primarily deal with stock-holding and ports deal with quayside operations, empty container depots act as a conduit between consignors and consignees. In the vein of American Pragmatism, Design Science Research, and Strategy-as-Practice, this thesis shows that in the context of empty container depots a gantry crane is an artefact that can create efficiencies, reduce costs, as well as explore further effects on the organisation and its wider geo-political habitus. Case Study – A New Zealand company that handles roughly half a million TEUs per annum cooperated with this study. The study was conducted by analysing data from four working depots (Auckland, Tauranga, Napier) selected to illustrate variations in container volumes, types of flows (imports, exports, seasonality), and depot layouts. The current operations of these depots were analysed using lean operations, value stream mapping, and operations interwork centre flow graphs. Of the four sites identified, one (the Auckland OCP site) was shown to achieve the greatest results from a gantry crane. The results of the analysis were then used to develop a potential solution in which waste was identified and eliminated, primarily around excess handling and land utilisation. Findings – A key finding was that efficiency gains differ from site to site based on their unique demands and overall layouts. Furthermore, changes towards the current yard using gantry cranes need to be implemented incrementally based on continuous improvement. This is due to practical constraints around operations, culture change, cashflow management, the acquisition of capital, and broader market/stakeholder influences. Originality/value – The practical applications of this research case are scalable on a vast level. The effects of this research are explored in how the introduction of an artefact affects the organisation, its vision of itself, its strategies, and the broader supply chain in which this organisation operates. The results are further re-contextualisted in order to offer a holistic view of an artefact in its situated environment.</p>

A Multi-Stage Approach for Empty Container Repositioning Under Coordination Among Liner Carriers

This paper studies the empty container repositioning (ECR) problem considering the exchange of slots and empty containers among liner shipping companies. It is common for an individual shipping company to seek an optimal solution for ECR and cargo routing to maximize its own benefits. To achieve cooperation among shipping companies, a multi-stage solution strategy is proposed. With the inverse optimization technique, the guide leasing prices of slots and empty containers among shipping companies are derived considering the schedule of vessels and cargo routing. Based on the guide leasing price, a cooperative model is formulated to minimize the total cost, which includes the transportation cost for laden containers, the inventory holding cost, the container leasing cost, and the repositioning cost. All the involved shipping companies are expected to follow the best solution of ECR and cargo routing to achieve a cooperative and stable optimum. A real-world shipping network operated by three liner shipping companies is used as a case study with promising numerical results.

Optimization of multi- period empty container repositioning and renting in CHINA RAILWAY Express based on container sharing strategy

Background With the steady growth of trade between China and Europe, the number of trains in CHINA RAILWAY Express has steadily increased under the Belt and Road Initiative. By the end of 2019, more than 21,000 trains have been operated. However, in the development of CHINA RAILWAY Express, the cost of empty container transportation and leasing remains high. So, it is necessary to put forward the strategy of container sharing. Aim Through the optimization of empty container transfer and rent under container sharing, this study aim to reduce the operation cost and put forward the strategy of container sharing. Method Considering the dynamic characteristics of empty container transportation in reality, this paper constructs a multi-period empty container transportation optimization model with the lowest total cost and the stability of the network, combining with the container sharing strategy. Lyapunov optimization method is used to transform the complex problem into a single period optimization problem, and then genetic algorithm is used to solve the model. Result Based on the analysis of 13 existing regular train companies, the results show that the model can effectively improve the utilization rate of containers and reduce the cost in the decision-making period. Based on the results and parameters analysis, some suggestions are put forward to optimize the empty container sharing and effectively realize of container sharing.

Do Foldable Containers Enhance Efficient Empty Container Repositioning under Demand Fluctuation?—Case of the Pacific Region

This study considers the empty container repositioning problem of shipping companies that use standard and 3-in-1 foldable containers with more advanced designs. A mathematical model is developed to compare the total management costs of container repositioning of various patterns in different cargo shipping demand scenarios. Numerous scenario analyses and simulations of empty container repositioning were conducted, focusing on a liner shipping service in the Pacific Islands where empty containers are likely to be present because of the imbalance between inbound and outbound flows of containers, including static analysis and consecutive analysis with demand fluctuation in different approaches. Results show that with the introduction of foldable containers, depending on the growth rate of container cargo shipping demand, the total management costs of empty container repositioning can be reduced. However, introducing a large number of foldable containers may increase the total management costs of container repositioning. Moreover, the cost reduction effect of adding another containership increases in cases where future cargo shipping demand increases substantially. Furthermore, the introduction of foldable containers not only effectively reduces the management costs of empty containers, but also makes costs more stable and predictable.

Optimization on the Multi-period Empty Container Repositioning Problem in Regional Port Cluster Based upon Inventory Control Strategies

Within the area of regional port clusters, this paper establishes a multi-period mixed integer programming model to optimize the empty container repositioning between public hinterlands and ports, comprehensively considering the quantitative and periodic inventory control strategy. By using Markov decision process combined with dynamic programming method, this paper dynamically optimizes the empty container inventory threshold (D;U) under quantitative strategy and S under periodical strategy at each port within the regional port clusters. On this basis, this paper optimizes the empty container repositioning scheme between public hinterlands and ports. Meanwhile, Liaoning coastal regional port cluster and its northeast hinterland are selected as the objects to solve this model and the results show that the total cost of shipping company can be saved by 14.16% and 11.92% respec- tively by the quantitative and periodical inventory control strategy. Selecting the quantity of public hinterland terminals, the empty container demand of public hinterland terminals and ports, the inventory threshold of empty containers and other factors, this paper carries on the sensitivity analysis. This paper validates inventory control strategy can weaken the shipping company in the influence of the external environment changes. And the quantitativeinventory control strategy can reduce the total cost value to a greater extent and more effective in cost control than periodical strategy.

Research on the Optimization of Empty Container Repositioning of China Railway Express in Cooperation with International Liner Companies

Both China Railway Express (CRE) companies and international liner companies are faced with the problem of empty container repositioning. In order to reduce empty container repositioning cost and realize their sustainable development, this paper studies the optimization problem of empty container repositioning under the condition of their cooperation. To minimize the cost, three optimization models of empty container repositioning are established, which are based on the single repositioning and cooperative repositioning. Numerical experiments are carried out to analyze the three empty container repositioning optimization models solved by CPLEX. The results show that the total cost could be greatly reduced by the cooperative repositioning. The effects of cooperation become more obvious with the unit storage cost or repositioning cost increases and become weaker with the unit mutual rental cost increase. When the demand fluctuation is in a certain range, the cooperation is still effective, which can reduce the cost. But when it is beyond a certain range, the benefits will be greatly reduced. In reality, for the sustainability of their cooperation, both sides should pay attention to the proportion of supply and demand and set reasonable mutual rental cost.