Safety and efficiency go hand in hand with MacGregor ‘Hippo’ fully automatic twistlock
In an era when digital technology and data-driven processes dominate discussion on improving container transport efficiency, it is sometimes easy to overlook the impact of something as simple as the mechanical twistlock.
Initially secured by hand, the humble twistlock has nonetheless developed alongside evolving demands for greater efficiency from the global container industry, with innovation taking it from purely manual to semi-automatic and, more recently, fully automatic operation.
While semi-automatic twistlocks are popular for their proven safety and relative simplicity, fully automatic solutions represent an increasingly attractive alternative thanks to the convenience and superior efficiency they provide. MacGregor’s ACV-1 ‘Hippo’ is a DNV-approved fully automatic twistlock that exceeds classification standards while helping customers to maximise their stowage efficiency.
“Hippo uses a wire-operated locking mechanism that keeps crucial pressure surfaces intact to minimise the risk of slip-out,” explains Arto Toivonen, Sales Manager, MacGregor. “This makes MacGregor’s solution the safest fully automatic twistlock in the industry.”
“During our testing, we found that MacGregor’s ACV-1 fully automatic twistlocks have a load-bearing capacity that almost doubles the requirements in our rules for automatic twistlocks and perform equivalently to semi-automatic systems in terms of their ability to limit the movement of container stacks during voyages,” says Daniel Abt, Approval Engineer, DNV.
An operator’s choice of twistlock can play a significant role in determining how much cargo a vessel can carry while maintaining safety standards, and leading container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has opted to implement Hippo across its A19 class of 19,900-TEU vessels.
“We always want to load more cargo, but ensuring containers are secure on the ship takes precedence over adding another tier,” comments Miguel Saez, Fleet Innovation Manager, Hapag-Lloyd. “If a container stack collapses, the threat to crew and the marine environment is considerable, while there are also clear financial and reputational ramifications to consider. Safety is therefore our number-one concern in planning lashing systems.”
MacGregor’s Hippo twistlocks enable the A19 vessels to transport an extra tier of cargo, for a total of around 600 additional TEUs per ship, with the same vessel plan and cargo mix – and, crucially, no negative safety impact.