North Carolina Ports Adopts Vortex Port Equipment Simulator

CM Labs Simulations, developer of Vortex training simulators, today announced its delivery last month of a port equipment simulator to the North Carolina Ports. The simulator will run training packs for Reach Stacker and Ship-to-Shore Crane.

North Carolina Ports, with facilities in Morehead City and Wilmington, has one of the highest crane productivity rates on the U.S. east coast, with more than 40 moves per hour. In 2018, North Carolina Ports installed two neo-Panamax cranes for increased efficiency, with a third installed in 2019, to accommodate loading and unloading of ultra-large container vessels.

In an environment of dynamic terminal development, efficient, cost-effective training becomes increasingly relevant. “The addition of the CM Labs Vortex Port Equipment Simulator is an important component of North Carolina Ports’ long-term improvements plan,” said Brian E. Clark, North Carolina Ports Chief Operating Officer. “The simulator serves as a critical training tool for current and future employees, allowing us to better prepare our employees for the cargoes of today and tomorrow by keeping in mind our core focus of safety, speed and efficiency.”

CM Labs’ Vortex Master Port Equipment Simulator is powered by Smart Training TechnologyTM, which provides a training tool that delivers the most transferable skills anywhere, outside of the real equipment. Machine motion and vibrations are rendered using motion platforms, while the surround sound system delivers authentic equipment and environment sounds.

“The multi-sensory experience, in tandem with true-to-life operating scenarios and best-practice guidance, has demonstrated its capacity to produce more productive operators than live equipment training alone can provide,” said Seza Kouladjian, CM Labs Product Manager.

CM Labs also delivered its Instructor Operating Station (IOS), which gives trainers full control of training scenarios, allowing them to observe from any angle, inject faults and weather conditions, and conduct after-action review of trainee performance. The IOS offers a host of other automated monitoring tools, including complete real-time recording and reporting of machine and performance data.

“The IOS lets managers and trainers customize the built-in scoring system and establish their own benchmarks, according to the operator attributes they want to target,” adds Kouladjian.

Thanks to its hot-swappable control capability, a single simulator can run a full fleet of equipment, including STS Crane, Ship Pedestal Crane, Forklift, Rubber-tyred Gantry, Mobile Harbour Crane, Reach Stacker, Empty Container Handler, and more.