Domestic Production of Ultra-High-Speed Cable Reels for Port Cranes

Busan Port Authority and Ministry of SMEs jointly promote co-investment R&D projects to improve operations and enhance stability

Cable reel that Busan Port Authority is promoting for localization.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The localization of ‘cable reels’ for port cranes, which have relied on foreign technology and equipment, is being promoted.

Busan Port Authority (BPA, President Nam Ki-chan) announced on the 21st that the ‘Development of Domestic Cable Reels for RMGC’ project was finally selected on November 11th as a ‘Joint Investment Type Project for New Product Development with Purchase Conditions’ implemented by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

BPA will begin developing domestic technology for ‘cable reels’ capable of moving up to 240 meters per minute, approximately double the existing port crane movement speed of 100m to 130m per minute, to improve port handling productivity in response to the ultra-large size of container ships.

So far, BPA has investigated the status of foreign technology adoption for equipment and facilities operated at Busan Port. This year, it analyzed the marketability, technological capabilities, and company levels of port equipment parts to establish a comprehensive R&D roadmap for the localization of handling equipment.

This project is the top priority in the electrical sector of the ‘Localization R&D Project Roadmap’ established by Busan Port Authority, and cable reels are core products that provide stable power supply and communication functions to cranes, performing functions comparable to the cardiovascular system in the human body.

Despite being an essential core component of port cranes, the localization rate of cable reels is very low: 0% for spreader cable reels and 6% for gantry cable reels.

Busan Port Authority plans not only to increase handling productivity by raising the movement speed of port cranes through this technology development but also to increase the market share of domestic products in the Korean port crane market. Furthermore, it plans to support the entry of Korean SMEs into the overseas port equipment market.

The technology project will be carried out over two years. The total project cost is 950 million KRW, with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and BPA each investing 420 million KRW. Cable reel manufacturing specialist company Coril Co., Ltd. and electrical device and panel production specialist company Ace Sanjeon Co., Ltd. will be responsible for development.

The goal of the technology development is to apply optical slip rings to the cable reels to prevent power and communication disconnections and to prevent safety accidents, matching the movement speed of 240 meters per minute.

It plans to reinforce the durability of drums and guides to prevent deformation of optical cables and contribute to maintenance cost reduction by applying a motor with a separated reducer.

With simultaneous improvements in the speed and stability of cable reels, rapid cargo handling and work efficiency within ports will increase. It is also expected to be applicable to similar cranes, facilitating related industries and overseas market entry.

Domestic products are expected to have a substitution effect as their prices are about 35% cheaper than imported ones.

President Nam Ki-chan said, “Through the localization of core components in the port equipment sector, Busan Port will take the lead in co-growth and win-win cooperation with SMEs by enhancing the technological capabilities of our companies and expanding opportunities to enter overseas markets.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.