Rough Terrain Container Handlers (RTCH, pronounced 'ratch') handle standard ANSI / ISO cargo containers, which have become the backbone of US and allied military logistics in recent years. For example, during the transport of the third and fourth infantry divisions in January 2005 alone, more than 4,200 trailers and containers were handled at the CRSP LSA Anaconda transshipment base. According to the Container Management Support Tool, since Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom began, the US government has paid more than $ 500 million for the use of privately owned containers. The fact is that the US government has to pay penalties to private companies if a container belonging to it is not returned to the carrier within a 10-day grace period. In order to reduce costs, the army chose two ways, firstly, to maximize the use of state-owned containers, and secondly, to minimize the time of loading and unloading operations. It is for these purposes that RTCH is best suited. The deployment conditions do not always allow the use of a standard container lifter. Snow, mud and just an unprepared area can create insurmountable obstacles to their work. In this regard, two main models of off-road container lifts were adopted, the American Caterpillar and the Finnish Kalmar (the company is formally registered in Finland).
Caterpillar Rough Terrain Container Lifter
The container lifter has a lifting capacity of 22.6 tonnes and is powered by a Caterpillar 3408 turbocharged diesel engine producing 393 hp, while the later 988F models were equipped with a Caterpillar 3408E HEUI turbocharged diesel engine producing 430 hp. RTCH Caterpillar features articulated steering and four-wheel drive. It features a top container hook, manufactured by the Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, Illinois. In order to reduce the cost and simplify maintenance, the maximum possible number of civilian components was used in its manufacture. The contract for the supply of RTCH was concluded in 1978, 320 vehicles were delivered from late 1981 to early 1985. The first model was priced at $ 159,138 at 1978 prices. A small number of these vehicles were purchased by the United States Air Force, and more than 120 of these vehicles were received by the United States Marine Corps. The container lifters were delivered to the Marine Corps in 1988 and were slightly different from those previously supplied to the army. The Caterpillar RTCH is based on the Caterpillar 988B commercial forklift with the addition of a forklift mast similar to the Hyster loader. Later models were based on the Caterpillar 988F Forklift Truck. So in 1997, an additional 43 machines based on this model were delivered.
RTCH provides the ability to work with containers 2.4 meters wide, 6 and 12 meters long (20 and 40 feet containers) and a total weight of up to 22.6 tons. It is capable of working on soft soils such as unprepared sandy beaches and even in sea water at a depth of 1.5 meters. It is 10.7 meters long, 3.55 meters wide and 4.12 meters high, the maximum speed on the highway is 40 km / h, the climb is 30%. Caterpillar RTCH is capable of stacking two containers high and can also be stowed on road or rail platforms. The machine is operated by one operator and does not carry any weapons, as it is designed to work in points of material and technical supply.
The top hitch is suitable for both ANSI / ISO containers in lengths of 6 and 12 meters. This hook is located on a retractable fork to handle ANSI / ISO containers of various lengths. If necessary, it can also handle even more containers, in this case, fittings of 12 meter containers are used. The RTCH also comes with conventional forks used for loading and unloading flatbed trailers and rail platforms or moving and storing inventory.
The service life was calculated for 11 years, but in practice it was 15 years. By 2005, all US Army and Marine Corps container lifters were overhauled at Caterpillar to extend their lifespan. So in 2006, the total number of Caterpillar RTCHs was 668 machines. In 2000, the US Army contracted Kalmar to build more than 500 new Kalmar RT240 Rough Terrain Container Hoists to replace the aging Caterpillar fleet.
Kalmar Rough Terrain Container Lifters
The Kalmar RT-240 Rough Terrain Container Elevator is the successor to the Caterpillar RTCH and is manufactured by Kalmar in San Antonio, Texas (Kalmar itself is registered in Finland). The second RTCH was conceived back in the late 1990s by the U. S. Army Transportation School to take advantage of worldwide shipping container standardization. The RTCH Kalmar RT240 was developed in close collaboration with the US Army to handle containers in extreme conditions. RTCH Kalmar is able to lift two 6-meter containers or one 12-meter container from a railway platform at once, which further accelerates loading and unloading operations. Kalmar Industries was awarded a contract to build RTCH in April 2000 based on their RT-240 Reach Stacker commercial container handler.
By December 2004, the US Army had received 346 Kalmar RTCHs purchased under the original contract. At the same time, the Marine Corps joined the army and acquired 25 of its own RTCHs with plans to acquire a total of 105 container lifts. The British Army acquired at least 20 Kalmar RTCHs for use in Iraq. In addition, the Kalmar is in service with Australia. The cost of the car is about $ 500,000 at current prices.
The Kalmar RT-240 Rough Terrain Container Lifters are powered by a six-cylinder Cummins QSM 11 turbocharged 400 hp diesel engine. Kalmar RTCH weighs 53.5 tonnes and is capable of handling containers up to 24,040 kg. The Kalmar RTCH has a sliding cab and telescopic boom that allows it to be transported by air (on C-5 or C-17 aircraft), sea, rail or road without the need for prior disassembly.
In transport condition, its width is 3.65 meters, length 15 and height 2.98 meters. Preparation for air transport can be done in less than 30 minutes with just one person, without assistance or the need to disassemble and dismantle any part of the machine. The reduced height also greatly simplifies road transport. According to manufacturers, the Kalmar RT240 is the only container lifter capable of handling surfaces with a side slope of 27 degrees and slopes up to 45 degrees. The Kalmar RTCH operating temperature range is -40 ° C to + 50 ° C.
Kalmar RTCH is capable of operating on seashore, rugged terrain and rough terrain, where it can stack three containers high and the boom reach allows the container to be lifted in the second row. Like the RTCH, Caterpillar has four four-wheel drive swivel wheels and can operate in sea water at a depth of 1.5 meters (according to the British Army up to 1.8 m), which allows it to unload barges and store containers from them onshore. Unlike most container lifters, RTCH uses one tire on each wheel. All wheels are driving and both axles are swivel, it is possible to simultaneously turn all wheels in one direction, and all steering is controlled by a computer for more precise movement. The axles are springless, and when driving on the road, a uniaxial drive with one pivot axle is possible.
Randy Wingenroth, Vice President of Kalmar RT says: "The RT240 revolutionized logistics around the world for the US military and its allies, and now we are offering this product to the commercial market for the first time."
