Designed to lift loaded and/or empty intermodal shipping containers several stacks high and two or more rows deep, reach stacker container handlers are the workhorses of many cargo terminal and port operations.
Read More (About Reach Stacker Container Handlers)Reach stacker container handlers represent one of two subcategories of the larger container handler market. (Mast container handlers are the other.) Often found in ports, railyards, shipping yards, industrial operations, and other worksites, reach stacker container handlers provide a quick, efficient, and safe method for loading, unloading, and transporting trailers and empty or loaded intermodal containers that can weigh tens of thousands of kilograms.
Reach stacker container handlers are characterised by their ability to lift containers multiple stacks high and two or more rows deep, which helps terminal and port operations better utilise space. Toyota has a reach stacker container handler, for example, that can stack up to five containers high and reach three rows deep while lifting up to 45,000 kg (99,000 pounds). Some experts argue that reach stackers are more versatile than mast container handlers, while others maintain they’re less manoeuvrable and more expensive, particularly where empty container handling operations are concerned. As such, some operations move empty containers with dedicated mast container handlers or specialised reach stackers, leaving standard laden reach stackers to deal with loaded ones.
To assist in lifting and placement tasks, many reach stacker container handlers include rotating four-point spreaders. Some models include elevated cabs that enhance the operator’s visibility when stacking several stacks high. Other cab features can include touchscreen displays for control and diagnostic information, heating and air conditioning, adjustable and swiveling seats, external camera systems to improve operator visibility, device-charging ports, power steering, tilting steering columns, safety-restraint systems, and multifunction joysticks and controllers. In addition to more fuel-efficient engines and various eco-friendly components and technologies, some reach stacker container handlers also include idling and automatic shutdown systems to reduce fuel consumption.
Among the features that Hyster offers with its reach stacker container handler models are load-sensing hydraulics, a wide-space boom head to handle a range of container sizes, and a boom design that results in less wear and tear while providing easier maintenance and greater durability. Toyota, meanwhile, includes such features as inclination and optical-distance sensors, automatic pendulum-floating twist-locks, and an independently powered moveable cab. In addition to a container-handling attachment that can accommodate multiple container sizes, Taylor Machine Works’ XRS-9972 Reach Stacker incorporates numerous sets of LED work lights, operational signal lights, replaceable bolt-on steps and handrails, and removable deck plates to make maintenance easier.
Some leading manufacturers of new and used reach stacker container handlers for sale on LiftsToday.com include Hyster, Kalmar, Konecranes, and SMV.