Four mobile harbour cranes, a world-first in terms of size and capacity, arrived at Mount Maunganui from Germany this morning.

Tauranga-headquartered port logistics company ISO Limited continued its investment in world-leading technology with the addition of the cranes at its operation at the Mount Maunganui wharfs.

The organisation commissioned the Liebherr mobile harbour cranes to deliver enhanced safety for handling of all types of cargo including logs, and to increase handling cycles, lift capacity and vessel turnarounds.

The German-manufactured cranes arrived after 37 days and 12,000 nautical miles of travel, including passage through the Panama Canal.

The four mobile harbour cranes arrived into the Port of Tauranga on Friday morning. Photo / Supplied
The four mobile harbour cranes arrived into the Port of Tauranga on Friday morning. Photo / Supplied

ISO chief executive Paul Cameron said the company was committed to continue applying world-leading innovation to its business and to delivering competitive excellence in supply chain transparency for its customers.

"We're creating a new future in a traditional industry by applying robotics, automation and IT, to minimise exposure to hazards and move our people into more skilled roles.

"The technology is not only safer, it allows us to load and unload vessels without the use of ships' cranes – allowing us to handle cargo for a wider range of vessels."

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Cameron said the cranes' introduction was part of a wider technology innovation initiative which, in recent years, had seen the company introduce Robotic Scaling Machines for logs, and IT solutions.

ISO Limited has grown to be one of New Zealand's largest nationwide waterfront cargo logistics companies, providing cargo logistics services throughout New Zealand - operating out of Marsden Point, Tauranga, Kaingaroa, Murupara, Gisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Picton, Timaru, Dunedin, Bluff and Invercargill.

ISO also provided innovative warehousing, IT and total supply chain solutions to port industries across New Zealand and Australia and software solutions in North and South America.

The four mobile harbour cranes arrived into the Port of Tauranga on Friday morning. Photo / Supplied
The four mobile harbour cranes arrived into the Port of Tauranga on Friday morning. Photo / Supplied

Cameron said the remote-controlled mobile harbour cranes, with advanced technology and safety specifications, were specifically customised to suit ISO's operating environment with input from the company's technology team.

Weighing 465 tonnes, the fully mobile Liebherr harbour crane has a 51m maximum lifting height, a 54m maximum outreach, dual outrigger pads that provide improved point loading distribution, 80 steerable wheel sets and has mobility of 360 degrees from any point.

He said the company's New Zealand customers were benefiting from the introduction of the scaling machines, which automated the accurate volumetric measurement (scaling) of export logs on trucks and trailers.

The world-first robotic technology was developed by Tauranga-based robotics and automation company Robotics Plus in collaboration with ISO.

It has been in operation since November 2018.

The robot could automatically scan logs on a truck in about three minutes, which compared up to 40 minutes for the previous manual system used throughout the world - which required people to hand-scan the logs by climbing between trucks and trailers.

Cameron said ISO would continue to invest in technology that delivers safety and efficiency and has a clear payback for the forestry and other industries it serves.