Port Equipment RFQ Checklist: Cranes and Bulk Handling

To request a useful quotation for port equipment, start with the cargo, required performance, vessel dimensions and installation conditions. For cranes, describe each required load together with its working radius. For bulk handling systems, describe the material and the throughput you need. This checklist helps a port operator, shipyard or project team prepare one clear inquiry for a port equipment manufacturer.

1. Define the handling task

State what must move, where it starts and where it must finish. A crane inquiry may concern general cargo, grab handling or shipyard lifting. A bulk terminal inquiry may cover loading a vessel, unloading into a receiving system, or stacking and reclaiming material in a stockyard. Include a simple layout showing the proposed equipment position and the surrounding interfaces.

Identify whether the project is a new installation, a replacement or an expansion. For an existing terminal, describe which equipment will stay in service and which interfaces the new machine must match.

2. Specify crane loads and working radii

A maximum lifting capacity alone does not describe the complete job. Give the supplier the required lifting cases and ask for a load chart for the proposed configuration. Record the cargo weight separately from the lifting attachment and ask how each is accounted for in the quoted rating.

• Required cargo load at the near, intermediate and far working positions.

• Minimum and maximum working radius, lifting height and any below-quay lifting requirement.

• Intended lifting attachment, cargo dimensions and handling frequency.

• Available rail geometry or foundation arrangement, access routes and surrounding obstructions.

• Site electrical supply and the preferred operating arrangement.

• Applicable project specifications and the documents needed for engineering review.

When comparing a single boom portal crane, a four link portal crane or a fixed port crane, ask each supplier to address the same lifting cases. Product names such as “full load” or “level luffing” do not replace a project load chart or a written explanation of the operating envelope.

3. Describe the bulk material and throughput

For a ship loader, grab ship unloader, screw type ship unloader or stacker reclaimer, identify every material the equipment will handle. Send available material data sheets and describe any seasonal or cargo-to-cargo variation.

• Material name, bulk density and the range of particle sizes.

• Moisture range, flow behaviour, abrasiveness and any tendency to form lumps.

• Cargo quality requirements, including acceptable product degradation or contamination.

• Required loading, unloading, stacking or reclaiming rate, with the basis of measurement.

• Expected annual volume, vessel parcel size and operating schedule.

• Receiving conveyor or downstream process capacity and transfer point locations.

Ask the supplier to distinguish a rated machine capacity from an average rate over the agreed loading or unloading period. State whether the comparison includes interruptions, movement between holds and final clean-up. This makes proposals easier to compare without assuming that the largest headline rate is the average terminal performance.

4. Provide vessel, berth and stockyard information

For vessel handling, provide vessel dimensions, hatch openings, hold information, berth arrangement and the relevant water-level range. For a stockyard, provide the available footprint, proposed stockpile arrangement and conveyor connections. Identify any site constraints that the supplier must consider, such as a restricted installation area or limited access for equipment delivery.

For a floating crane or a marine deck crane, include the vessel or barge arrangement and the operating conditions to be assessed. For an electric mobile harbour crane, include the intended travel areas, quay information and electrical supply arrangement. Ask the supplier to identify any additional engineering information required before final selection.

5. Make the supply scope explicit

Ask for a written list of included equipment, exclusions and interfaces. Separate the machine supply from foundations, civil works, site power connections, receiving conveyors and installation responsibilities. Include the documentation, inspection, commissioning and operator instruction requirements that your project team needs to evaluate.

For each proposal, record the quoted configuration, capacity basis, delivery basis, warranty terms and support scope. Request clarification wherever an assumption is different from your inquiry. A comparison is more useful when all suppliers are answering the same technical scope.

6. Find the relevant TianLi product pages

Start with the port crane category or the ship loading and unloading category, then include the relevant product page in your inquiry.

• Single boom portal crane — also described as a single jib portal crane.

• Four link portal crane — discuss the required luffing and lifting envelope.

• Rack luffing fixed port crane — identify the proposed installation and outreach.

• Wire rope luffing crane: full load and non-full load — request the corresponding load charts.

• Bulk ship loader — provide the cargo, vessel and feed arrangement.

• Grab ship unloader — provide the cargo and receiving-system requirements.

• Screw type ship unloader — discuss a screw-based continuous unloading arrangement for the specified cargo.

• Bucket wheel stacker reclaimer — define the stockyard and both handling duties.

• Floating crane and marine deck crane — include vessel or barge information.

• Shipbuilding portal crane — describe the shipyard lifting cases.

• Electric mobile harbour crane — describe the working areas and electrical supply.

7. Copy this outline into your inquiry

• Project name and location:

• Equipment required and quantity:

• Cargo or bulk material, including available data sheets:

• Crane load cases and working radii, or required bulk handling throughput:

• Vessel, berth, foundation or stockyard information:

• Available electrical supply and connections:

• Existing equipment interfaces and site constraints:

• Required supply scope and project documents:

• Target project schedule and delivery destination:

• Contact person and attached drawings or photographs:

If some information is still unknown, mark it as preliminary and list the open questions. This allows the initial discussion to focus on the missing inputs rather than treating assumptions as confirmed requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start a crane inquiry with only the lifting tonnage?

Yes, for an initial discussion. For a meaningful configuration and quotation, add the required working radius, lifting height, attachment and installation conditions. Request a load chart that addresses the actual lifting cases.

Does a four link portal crane automatically provide the same capacity at every radius?

Do not infer the load rating from the product name. Ask for the proposed crane's load chart and the specified working range. The quotation should state the required load at each relevant working radius.

Is a screw ship unloader a continuous ship unloader?

Screw conveying is one approach to continuous ship unloading. In an inquiry, state the intended unloading principle and the cargo requirements. The broader term “continuous ship unloader” does not identify a single machine configuration.

Should I compare unloaders using rated capacity alone?

Compare the rated capacity together with the stated material and operating conditions. Also ask how average or through-ship performance is defined, including which working periods and interruptions are included.

Can the same material description be used for a loader, unloader and stacker reclaimer?

Use a consistent material data sheet, but describe each handling duty separately. State the required rate, inlet and outlet conditions, and interfaces for each machine. Ask the supplier to identify the information needed for that part of the system.

What should I send if I do not have final drawings?

Send a preliminary layout, available vessel or site information, photographs and the known performance requirements. Mark dimensions and conditions that still need confirmation. Ask which additional drawings or material data are needed for the next stage.

Discuss your port equipment project

Send your inquiry and available project information to info@cranetl.com, or visit TianLi Heavy Industries to review the product range and contact details. Final equipment ratings and supply scope should be defined in the project-specific technical proposal.