Sampyo Cement Develops Korea's First Automatic Opening and Closing Cover Technology for Freight Transport Vehicles

Preventing Safety Accidents at the Source... Challenging Zero Accident Rate

Bulk Cement Trailer (BCT) and Automatic Hatch Cover.
[Photo by Sampyo Cement]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Sampyo Cement announced on the 26th that it has developed the 'Automatic Hatch Cover' technology for the safety and efficient operation of cargo transport trailer drivers for the first time in Korea, and has completed a patent application together with BBA, a semiconductor component manufacturing company and joint developer.

The automatic hatch cover is a manhole cover located on the top of trailer vehicles transporting cargo such as cement, grains, feed, and tank lorries. When loading products, drivers had to climb onto the vehicle to manually open and close the cover, but this technology automates and eliminates that process.

This technology fundamentally eliminates the risk factors of fall accidents, marking a significant step toward creating a safer working environment. Until now, cargo trailer drivers nationwide had no choice but to work in dangerous conditions by climbing approximately 3.65 meters high onto the vehicle to open and close the cover. However, with the introduction of automation through the development of the automatic hatch cover technology, the risk factors for safety accidents have been fundamentally removed.

Most automatic hatch covers used in existing cargo transport vehicles were European products, which were often rejected by vehicle owners due to long installation times and cost burdens. Even when malfunctions occurred, it was difficult to receive after-sales service because these were imported products. However, with the release of a domestically produced new product, it is expected that these issues will be resolved.

This patented product significantly reduces the failure rate compared to imported products and is about 60% cheaper, thereby alleviating the burden on vehicle owners. As of last year, approximately 12,000 cargo transport trailers capable of applying the automatic hatch cover are operating nationwide, of which about 2,700 vehicles transport cement, accounting for approximately 22%. Installing automatic hatch covers on these 2,700 cement transport vehicles is expected to save about 12.7 billion KRW compared to the existing costs. Expanding this to the nationwide 12,000 cargo trailers could save approximately 56.4 billion KRW.

Reduction in product loading time is also expected. Previously, loading products took 7 to 10 minutes, but the same task can now be completed within 30 seconds, increasing efficiency. Additionally, the simple and robust design allows for use over 10 years.

Based on this successful technology development experience, Sampyo Cement plans to continue developing 'unmanned shipping automation system' technology.

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