cf-technologies.com.au Open in urlscan Pro
2400:b800:0:518::3  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Skip to content
Main Menu
MENUMENU
 * Home
 * Benefits
 * Features
 * Architecture
 * Projects
 * About
 * Contact


CONTAINER FREIGHT TECHNOLOGIES


INNOVATION FOR CONTAINER FREIGHT DISTRIBUTION

REVOLUTIONARY NEW SYSTEM FOR HANDLING CONTAINER FREIGHT

Freight Handling became extremely efficient when the standard for intermodal
freight containers was defined and quickly adopted around the world.  Huge
investment was made in land-based infrastructure to support both standard
container sizes.  Many refinements have occurred over the years to improve
efficiency and throughput.  At many installations, the intermodal hub is located
at the port and has often been a major source of congestion.  While
ship-to-shore transfer is fast and efficient, distribution from port to importer
is often hampered by congestion.  Port areas have become centres for population
growth, and conflicts arise between passenger rail and freight rail.  Also,
trucks compete with private vehicles for roads surrounding the ports, and this
results in an additional undesirable impact on the environment.

At CF Technologies, we took a clean-canvas approach for container-freight
handling to determine the best way to serve the needs of both the shipping
industry and the surrounding communities.  After several years of creative work
we are focused on a robot enabled technology where sets of powered-wheels are
attached to each container so they become vehicles that can be centrally
controlled.  These container-vehicles travel in pipes that can be routed
underground, at ground level, or elevated above ground.

Discover the Benefits

LOGISTICS INNOVATION

The introduction of encased, semi-autonomous container-vehicles allows for
continuous delivery, thus removing the need for container “accumulation areas”. 
 Containers can be moved in single batches to one destination (ship loading), or
in segregated batches to several loading points.   Scheduling can coordinate
delivery with the ship speed and loading capacity to provide a “just-in-time”
solution.

 * Faster ship turn-around – no enforced delays introduced by land based
   scheduling or capacity conflicts
 * Greater value to freight for exporters – cost saving due to efficiencies in
   delivery, the utilisation of the capital infrastructure and minimum
   additional storage requirement en route
 * Smooth Flow of containers to and from ships is a key requirement for optimum
   efficiency



STRATEGIC FIT

The primary objectives are not to interrupt, impede or spoil the current
lay-of-the-land, and to avoid accumulation points between ports and hubs.  The
pipe structure provides the most efficient container-transfer for all
configurations – surface rail, and installations above or below ground.

 * Minimal Handling — The system provides cost savings in terms of capital
   equipment and expenditure on labour.  By removing excess double handling and
   unnecessary lay-down points between the hub and the port, optimal delivery
   times can be achieved.  In addition, reducing the number of process points on
   the delivery path removes many of the “opportunities to fail”.
 * Quality Management — Constant monitoring of each separate process is
   important in identifying the leading-indicators of non-conformance.  Quickly
   isolating the root cause helps determine the most appropriate corrective
   action.  The design permits rapid human intervention to ensure an effective
   recovery in the event of any non-conformance.
 * Delivery Scheduling — Transfers between port and hub will be scheduled to
   maximise asset utilisation, and also optimise the efficiency of delivery.
 * Innovative Evolution — CF Technologies is developing a culture of continuous
   learning.  Conformance to both Quality and Scheduling specifications, will
   identify opportunities for improvement via strict statistical analysis.



BROADER COMMUNITY BENEFITS

Integration of the CF Technologies System at a port and associated remote
logistics hubs, will create the following benefits…

 * Employment opportunities in areas surrounding remote hubs, and advantages of
   living closer to the place of work
 * Efficiencies in scheduling, receiving, batching, and container handling
 * Elimination of rail and road congestion – improved ability to utilise
   existing roads and rail for passenger traffic since much of the freight
   requirement will no longer require that infrastructure
 * Reduction of the associated noise, pollution, road crossing maintenance, and
   rail scheduling conflicts
 * Remove the necessity for the port land requirement to expand as export and
   import volumes increase



ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

CF Technologies has clearly demonstrable benefits in the following areas…

 * Noise and vibration — almost complete absence
 * Good Air-Quality and low greenhouse-gas emissions
 * Landscape and visual amenity — structure can be easily hidden or disguised
 * Best use of Land and Property — facilitated by off-site intermodal hub and
   storage
 * Reduced congestion on the Roads and in Rail
 * Social impacts on domestic development in the vicinity
 * Transport economics and best utilisation of capital enables users to control
   their own off-site facility, thereby relocating activities from congested
   Port areas
 * Single Entry/Exit point to facilitate customs and biosecurity checks


Learn More


CORE TECHNOLOGIES

PIPE CASING FOR CONTAINER-VEHICLES

The container vehicles can be completely encased in a tube or pipe.  There are
several advantages related to this.  At ground level, a system encased in a pipe
has a relatively small footprint because the separation strip between the rail
and its surroundings can be reduced to a minimum.

Noise is also minimised.  As with all electrified rail systems, pollution levels
are almost non-existent, at least at the point of delivery. In addition, the
pipe design is well suited to tunnels whenever the track needs to be routed
underground.

Aust. Pat. App. No. 2020902377


DETACHABLE DRIVE UNITS (DDUS)

The basic concept is to transform containers into vehicles by temporarily
attaching motors and wheels.  The engineering challenges have been substantial,
but we have refined the design to produce a practical and cost effective
solution.

A critical design requirement was to supply power to the DDUs.  The third-rail
option was chosen where shoes extend from the units and make contact with power
lines half buried at both sides of the pipe.

Aust. Pat. App. No. 2020902377


DOCKSIDE IMPLEMENTATION

The system depends upon an efficient mechanism to assemble the containers and
the DDUs together to form Container Vehicles.  Key to the success of CFT is a
modification that can be made to any standard ship-to-shore crane.  In addition
to the main gantry which moves the containers with a Spreader, there are two
secondary gantries.

These secondary gantries unite the containers with DDUs so they can be placed on
the pipe-rail.  They also split container-handling into two stages which should
reduce ship load or unload times by around 20 percent.

Aust. Pat. App. No. 2020902377

Aust. Pat. App. No. 2020902377

Aust. Pat. App. No. 2020902377

Aust. Pat. App. No. 2020902377



WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCOVER HOW OUR CONTAINER FREIGHT SOLUTION MIGHT SOLVE YOUR
LOGISTICS PROBLEMS?

Contact Us

A Radical Rail-Architecture Rethink
 * Pipe-Rail Model
 * Detachable Drive Units
 * Central Control
 * Multistage Gantries
 * Half-Pipe Loader

 * Container Vehicles
 * Third-Rail Power Supply
 * Double Helix
 * Grappling Mechanism
 * Collaboration

 * Pipe-Rail Model
 * Detachable Drive Units
 * Central Control
 * Multistage Gantries
 * Half-Pipe Loader

 * Container Vehicles
 * Third-Rail Power Supply
 * Double Helix
 * Grappling Mechanism
 * Collaboration

 * Pipe-Rail Model
 * Container Vehicles
 * Detachable Drive Units
 * Third-Rail Power Supply
 * Central Control
 * Double Helix
 * Multistage Gantries
 * Grappling Mechanism
 * Half-Pipe Loader
 * Collaboration

Image Credits:

Image by wasi1370 from Pixabay
Image by Markus Distelrath from Pixabay
Image by Markus Distelrath from Pixabay
Image by Martin Pfennigschmidt from Pixabay

Copyright ©2022 CF Technologies P/L  ( ACN: 638 428 636 )
Site Development by Gendec Design