50 years of leading: the original screw-type ship unloader

Dry bulk materials will always be shipped and unloaded as they underpin the essential elements of today’s world; food, energy, and infrastructure. There is a global shift to carry out dry bulk handling activities in ports in a cleaner, more efficient way. This will only get more prominent in the future, and we offer this capability now.

We pioneered the screw ship unloader and screw-type ship unloading conveyors, along with their key technology, the counter-rotating inlet feeder, which is the basis for an efficient Siwertell ship unloader. Our dry bulk handling technology is still the market leader; Siwertell is the original screw-type ship unloader.

A market head-start

The patent that was in place for a number of years following the Siwertell ship unloader’s introduction to the market, meant that we could offer our innovative ship unloading technology to sectors that, at that time, could only imagine the levels of efficiency and environmental protection that our ship unloaders could deliver. This head-start also means that, now, we have a wide reference base, enormous technological knowledge and unrivaled dry bulk material handling expertise to draw upon.

My first day with the company was 22nd November, 1993, a Monday, more than thirty years ago. I started as project purchaser and held that position up to 2002, when I was given the opportunity to be a project purchasing manager and shortly afterwards became a strategic purchasing manager. In 2006, I was nominated as purchasing director and at the same time joined the management team.

Obviously after 30 years I have so many Siwertell memories, but one project stands out for me. I was given the opportunity to participate in the installation work of ship unloader and terminal equipment in Singapore between 1997 and 1998. It was really a huge experience and proved useful in so many aspects of my career.

I had only been in the job for a few years, but developing a deep understanding of ship unloading technology, seeing what it delivered to the dry bulk operator, and how our teams ensured that the machine that had been ordered, delivered on its contract promises, were all valuable lessons.

Knowledge from start to finish

As a purchaser, you get to have very good overall dry bulk equipment and industry knowledge. You get to know all the products, the company and its cross-divisional expertise, organizations, and supply chains, but also better understand customers and their demands. This broad knowledge gives you an appreciation, from start to finish, of our all our products including ship unloaders, ship loaders, mobile ship unloading systems, and conveyors, throughout their whole lifetime, but also where we need to improve.

Underlying this process is good teamwork; it is such a key to success, along with good communication and experience, but behind this teamwork is commitment, and creativity.

Over fifty years, our dry bulk handling technology has also not stayed still, enjoying significant advances, which have had a direct impact on customers’ operations. New electrical systems, with advanced human machine interfaces have transformed the operator experience. The notion of ‘digitalization’ is so wide, and something we have been working with, and towards, for many years, just under different names.

We are working on the introduction of Siwertell Smartview, a cloud-based industrial Internet of things (IIoT) system, which will be integrated into Siwertell ship unloading and ship loading technology. This comes with a lot of opportunities for our customers and for us. We will have a much greater understanding of our products in operation, and how they perform. Digital advances also set the path for automated ship unloading and ship loading, this is likely to achieve even higher efficiencies and longer equipment lifetimes.

The lifetime of components has been in the spotlight over Siwertell technology’s time in service. Recent developments have seen the lifetime of the screw conveyor significantly increase, delivering huge benefits to customers, particularly those in very high use operations, like the grain handling industry.

Cleaner, safer opportunities

If I had to highlight three reasons why an operator should invest in Siwertell technology, I would nominate: efficiency, environmental protection and safety.

Environmental protection is of course very important, but sustainability is much more than a single entity. The people working with our products, within the company, suppliers, and operators, all stakeholders, benefit from technology and a professional approach that enables them to work in a healthy and safe way.

There have always been ups and downs in the dry bulk market due to many influences. The most significant change that we have seen over recent years lies in the energy sector, with coal being used in decreasing volumes. This does impact our company, and push us to improve our positions in other sectors. My hope is that we move the industry success that we have had in coal handling to others, and continue to pioneer in more sustainable energy markets, such as biomass handling.