CM Labs Simulations, developer of Vortex training simulators, has launched an immersive new training pack for empty container handler (ECH) operators, the only ECH training solution on the market that allows operators to experience the effects of unbalanced loads and other causes of machine instability.

Port terminals and training schools can customise this scoring system to highlight their most important standards.

This capability is due to the Smart Training TechnologyTM that’s incorporated in the solution. Smart Training Technology is comprised of CM Labs’ proprietary and patented algorithms, and includes real-time simulation features that are unique on the market. The result is a training solution that delivers the most transferable operator skills anywhere, outside the real equipment.

The ECH Simulator Training Pack can run on any CM Labs ports equipment simulator, including the desktop Vortex Trainer, the motion-enabled Vortex Advantage, and the high-immersion Vortex Master. Thanks to their hot-swappable control capabilities, each simulator can run a full fleet of training packs following the full journey of cargo. This includes STS Crane, Ship Pedestal Crane, Straddle Carrier, Rubber-tired Gantry, Mobile Harbour Crane, Reach Stacker, Forklift, and more.

The system allows operators to experience the effects of unbalanced loads.

The simulated ECH stacks 8 containers high, and lifts 20-, 40-, and 45-foot containers, with realistic manipulation of twistlocks and vertical bar, and a maximum travel speed of 27 km/h. 

The solution can run in a training setting designed to meet sanitizing and physical distancing requirements, and provides rapid operator readiness for operating challenges, including night-time operations and reduced visibility due to weather conditions such as fog, rain, or snow.

The ECH Simulator Training Pack tracks all operating performance metrics during training exercises, and rolls them up into a single score that updates in real time. Port terminals and training schools can customise this scoring system to highlight their most important standards, so that new operators can ramp up even faster.

The solution can run in a training setting designed to meet sanitizing and physical distancing requirements.

With a focus that goes far beyond basic controls familiarisation, the ECH Simulator Training Pack exposes operators to conditions that are challenging or unsafe to replicate in real life. When paired with CM Labs’ Instructor Operating Station (IOS), the training pack allows trainers to introduce specific challenges at any time, including overload or uneven load distribution, proximity to personnel, and potholes. The IOS can be installed at a distance from the simulators to comply with training hygiene requirements, or even in an adjacent room.