Side Sliding Loader

Side Sliding Loader

This project aims to develop a prototype for final technical and commercial validation of the new and innovative equipment, the SSL Vehicle – Side Sliding Loader Vehicle, which has the ability to load side containers over railway wagons, enabling an easy and automatic way of loading/unloading container wagons. In a port, the use of one of these vehicles will replace three equipments used at this moment to load/unload one TEU in a train (truck, crane and reach-stacker).

With this prototype other two equipments will be implemented:

• SSL Buffer – Side Sliding Loading Buffer, a steel structure that can be used to store containers being loaded/unloaded by the SSL Vehicle;
• SSL Platform – Side Sliding Loading Platform, an instantaneous quay/pier that can be made by several SSL-V interconnected.

These systems will provide more efficient logistics operations at the ports, reducing the number of equipment normally used for these operations and consequently reducing pollutant- emissions within the port area. Moreover, it will also make possible the use of catenary within the port area allowing the use of electric locomotives instead of the current diesel locomotives existing in all ports.

The improvements in the cargo transportation from trucks to rail will speed up the flow of containers inside/outside of the ports, reducing the space required for their storage and returning some port areas to nature.