Harbor Crane Lighting

The Harbor crane specialist

As of our foundation in 2003, Yourlight is the specialist in Harbor Crane Lighting.

We give tailor made advice, share our expertise, make comprehensive light plans and we deliver high quality port light fixtures with a 5 years warranty that is really worth someting. Our after sales deparment is always at your service.

Whether it concerns a ship to shore (STS) crane, a quay crane (QC), a Rail-Mounted Gantry Crane (RMG), a Rubber-Tyred Gantry Crane (RTG), and Automated Stacking Crane (ASC) or any other type of crane that can be found in ports, Yourlight has the right lighting solution for your equipment.

We have a portfolio of high-end port crane fixtures that can withstand demanding maritime conditions. The fixtures we offer are IP66 or up, so (spray) water and dust-proof. They are equipped with a high-quality maritime-proof powder coating or are (partially) stainless steel. Our harbor fixtures and always highly shock and vibration resistant (IK08 minimal). Our harbor crane fixtures are fitted with efficient high-end PC of PMMA lenses with a wide array of beam angles in order to master all types of applications. Some types of the fixturs we offer have tempered anti-static glass covers protecting the plastic lenses against dirt accumulation, hence keeping them efficient. All fixtures have a heavy duty (stainless) steel bracket and are equipped with safety chains.

Prior to a geat value for money offering of harbour crane fixtures, our lighting engineers make you a tailor made light plan in Dialux to simulate the future lighting solution with state of the art LED fixtures.
Further down on this page you will find some examples of harbor crane light simulations we have made for one of our customers.

Lenses make the difference

If a harbor crane (STS or QC) has to reach deep into the hold of a ship while the operator remains able to see at the load properly, fixtures with narrow-beam lenses are required. At the new Super QC cranes of RWG and APM-T on the Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam, the fixtures are mounted on the main girders at a 60 meters height. The bottom of the hold of a ship, can be deeper than 30 meters from quay level. So the light has to bridge a distance of more than 90 meters. We have managed this perfectly with the right type of (narrow) beam fixtures.

At the same time, if a ship of 400 meters length is alongside, which is fully loaded with more than 20,000 TEU on board, the containers are stacked close to the main girder. This means that there would be light spots on the top of the containers if only narrow-beam fixtures were applied. To counter this, wide-angle fixtures are also required in order to create the desired uniformity. We have the experience and expertise to make an optimization with a combination of wide-angle and narrow-beam luminaires. Our lighting experts will gladly help you.

Where should there be light?

Primarily on the lifting load and its immediate surroundings because of the crane driver must be able to see what he is doing in order te be productive. Secondary in the wider environment and under the crane to enhance safety conditions. Often many harbor cranes are equipped with more than enough secondary lighting, while the primary lighting, for example on the trolley or under the cabin, is insufficient. We have the required expertise in house in order to provide you with the right advice for your situation.

Productivity

Cranes are capital goods that must be unhindered at work. This means that they are often operational 24/7 and  therefore also operate in night time conditions. Therfore, it’s paramount that the lighting always works.

Good light quality is important. when the quality of light is concerned, we are talking about Color Rendering and Color Temperature. A study by one of our customers showed that the movements per hour on an STS container crane were approx. 7% higher when using our modern LED lighting with a high Color Rendering compared to the conventional High-Pressure Sodium (SON) lighting. During a period of 12 months, over the 4 seasons, this customer worked with the same team of crane operators on 2 cranes that operated side by side. One crane was equipped with ols fashioned SON-T fixtures (yellow light) while the other with a modern lighting solution from Yourlight (white light). The latter crane showed to be significantly more productive.

Good lighting on cranes also limits the chance of human errors and is much safer.

Safety

From large global players such as APM-T, PSA, DP World and Hutchison Ports, to small locally operating harbor companies, safety is becoming increasingly important for everyone. Good lighting under and around a crane, especially in circumstances where people and machines interact, is essential for safe working conditions.

Let our lighting experts inform you how you can improve safety conditions while operating your harbor cranes.

Maintenance

Maintaining the lighting on high harbor cranes is a crime. It is difficult to get to the luminaires. Sometimes they are mounted on a platform, but in most cases, you can only use a platform, which in turn entails extra costs. The fixtures from Yourlight are maintenance-free. If an LED fixture breaks down unexpectedly, it’s almost always the driver. On our fixtures, these are easily replaceable.  In addition, several fixtures are equipped with 2 or even 3 drivers. So in case of a faulty driver, still 2/3 or half of the light remains . The default driver can then be replaced at the moment the crane is removed from production for general maintenance. Until then, the crane can be operational, without the safety being directly compromised.

Our lighting designers are highly skilled and experienced engineers who have the expertise to design a lighting plan for the most complicated harbor cranes with the latest computer programs.