World Maritime Day: Servoday’s Engineering Contribution to Bulk Material Handling at Ports

Designing & Manufacturing Bulk Handling Grabs

Servoday manufactures and supplies different types of grabs according to the crane, material characteristics, lifting capacity, working environment and operating requirements.

The company’s published grab range includes:

• Radio Remote Control Grab (RRCG)
• Two-Rope Mechanical Grab
• Four-Rope / Wire-Rope Clamshell Grab
• Electro-Hydraulic Clamshell Grab
• Electro-Hydraulic Orange Peel Grab
• Timber & Log Grab
• Rock Grabber
• Clamshell Attachment Grab
• Excavator and Material-Handling Buckets
• Port Handling Hopper
• Customized grab and bulk-handling equipment

The grab design can be adapted according to the bulk density, particle size, abrasiveness, moisture, required volume, crane parameters and application conditions.

What Bulk Materials Can Be Handled at Ports?

Different cargoes require different grab designs. Servoday’s published port-handling applications include a wide range of dry bulk and irregular materials.

1. Coal

Coal is one of the major bulk commodities handled at ports. Clamshell and radio remote grabs can be used for ship unloading, barge loading and stockyard transfer.

2. Iron Ore & Minerals

Heavy-duty grabs can be designed for materials such as:

• Iron ore
• Bauxite
• Limestone
• Clinker
• Mineral ores
• Aggregates

Material density and abrasion characteristics are important considerations when selecting the grab configuration.

3. Fertilizers

Fertilizer materials such as bulk granular products can require controlled and efficient loading/unloading systems.

4. Grains & Agricultural Bulk Cargo

Depending on the cargo characteristics, grabs can be used for handling bulk agricultural commodities such as grains and similar free-flowing materials.

5. Salt

Bulk salt handling is another port application where radio remote grabs and other suitable grab configurations can support loading and unloading operations.

6. Sand & Aggregates

Clamshell grabs are widely suited to loose bulk materials such as:

• Sand
• Gravel
• Aggregates
• Stone materials

7. Steel Scrap

Orange Peel Grabs are particularly suited to irregular and bulky materials such as steel scrap, where multiple curved tines can grip individual pieces and bundles.

8. Timber & Logs

Specialized Timber/Log Grabs are designed for handling cylindrical and elongated wood materials, including logs and biomass-related materials.

9. Rocks & Rubble

Rock grabs and heavy-duty attachments can be configured for rocks, rubble and other difficult materials.

10. Biomass & Wood Materials

Depending on the application, suitable grabs can be used for:

• Wood chips
• Biomass
• Timber
• Logs
• Agricultural bulk materials

Servoday’s published port-handling information also lists municipal waste and other irregular materials among potential applications.

From Ship to Shore – Where Grabs Fit into Port Operations

A typical bulk-material movement can involve:

Ship / Barge → Crane → Grab → Port Hopper → Conveyor → Stockyard → Processing / Dispatch

or the reverse:

Stockyard → Conveyor / Hopper → Crane → Grab → Ship / Barge

Servoday also manufactures or supplies associated bulk-handling equipment such as port hoppers, conveyors, material-handling equipment and ship/barge loading systems, allowing grab equipment to become part of a broader material-handling system.

Engineering Considerations for Grab Selection

A grab should not be selected only by volume. Important engineering parameters include:

1. Material Density
Determines the payload that can be carried by a particular grab volume.

2. Material Characteristics
Coal, ore, scrap, logs and grains behave differently and require different designs.

3. Crane Capacity
The crane’s safe working load must accommodate the grab dead weight plus the material payload.

4. Grab Capacity
Grab volume should be matched with material density and required productivity.

5. Working Depth
Ship holds, barges and deep stockpiles may require different grab configurations.

6. Abrasion Resistance
Highly abrasive materials can require suitable wear-resistant components.

7. Operating Cycle
Fast filling, lifting, travelling and discharge cycles can influence overall port productivity.

8. Environmental Conditions
Marine environments can expose equipment to salt, moisture, corrosion and demanding operating conditions.

Servoday – From Engineering Design to Manufacturing

Servoday’s engineering activities extend beyond the grab itself. The company describes capabilities covering design, fabrication, manufacturing, installation, assembly and commissioning of industrial and bulk-handling systems.

This allows a project to be approached from the engineering level:

Application Study → Grab Selection → Mechanical Design → Fabrication → Assembly → Testing → Site Installation → Commissioning

For customized grab requirements, parameters such as crane make/model, SWL, rope arrangement, material density, required capacity, operating depth and material characteristics become important inputs.

Servoday Bulk Handling Grab Range – Quick Reference

The exact configuration and capacity should be engineered according to the crane, material and operating conditions.

📞 Contact Us for Bulk Port Handling Solutions

📍 Servoday Plants & Equipments Ltd
📞 +91 9427210483 | +91 9427210484
📧 sanjay@servoday.in

🌐 www.GrabsIndia.com

👤 Contact Person: Sanjay Masuria
📲 WhatsApp: +91 9427210483

Strength, Precision, Reliability – Elevate Your Port Operations

genuinely serving since 1969. 🚀🔥