Founded over a hundred years ago, Gottwald Port Technology GmbH, now a member of the stock-exchange listed Demag Cranes Group, took a decision twenty years ago to concentrate exclusively on products for material handling in ports and terminals. The company is acknowledged as being the inventor of the Mobile Harbour Crane and is also the pacesetter in the automation of container handling.

The range of products currently includes Mobile Harbour Cranes and such derivatives as Portal Harbour Cranes and Floating Cranes,  Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for horizontal container transport, Automated Stacking Cranes (ASCs) and Wide Span Gantries (WSGs). In addition, there is the navigation and management software developed in-house for operating and interlinking AGVs and ASCs, in particular. And finally, state-of-the-art  simulation and emulation technology assists terminal planning, design and performance assessment even before the first cut of the spade.

The products are equally suited to operation in maritime and inland terminals and, depending on needs and the chosen configuration, work seamlessly together. The connection is made through the latest in software programming.

The tremendous increase in container and bulk transport and, as a result, the volume of cargo handled in almost every port, has necessitated, firstly, faster cargo handling and, secondly, significantly improved use of space. It was for this reason that we have almost doubled the hoisting speed – the single most important performance factor in the loading and unloading of vessels – achieved by our Generation 5 cranes compared with the previous generation. At the same time, we have improved our advance order programme for Mobile Harbour Cranes and considerably reduced production lead-times. Based on its successful Mobile Harbour Crane technology, Gottwald has developed and, quite literally, launched, Floating Cranes. Floating cranes, which are currently experiencing a renaissance, have short delivery lead-times, especially when they are based on the modular Mobile Harbour Cranes, make additional quay space unnecessary and neatly navigate around the entire problem of approvals procedures.

Apart from the benefits to a terminal generally associated with automating container transport, stacking and retrieval, Gottwald's ASCs offer far improved stacking density and faster working speeds. One-over-five stacking solutions, coupled with variable stack widths, rapid storage and retrieval, ensure high volumes and fast speeds in the container stackyard while maximising space usage. In the field of automated horizontal container transport, Gottwald is currently introducing its latest development, the Lift AGV. The Lift AGV combines Gottwald's proven AGV technology – several hundred of which are in use – with innovative features enabling container transport to be decoupled from storage processes. This not only reduces the number of vehicles required by around half, it significantly increases productivity.

The logistical interlinking of individual machines and entire fleets of machines using smart software is playing an increasingly important part. In this context, Gottwald spares no effort to ensure its own software can be easily integrated in superordinate TOS software. The part played by software in influencing productivity in terminals is generally underestimated. It is, indeed, the software that makes a considerable contribution towards improving handling rates in container terminals. After all, only software can efficiently link the processes in maritime and inland terminals. With its range of products, incorporating both hardware and software, Gottwald makes a decisive contribution to sustainable improvements in terminal productivity and to preventing quay congestion.

　　德国高华（Gottwald）港口技术有限公司成立已有百年之久，现今是上市公司Demag起重机集团的成员公司。二十年前高华开始集中全力开发港口码头所需的物料搬运产品。公司发明了移动式港口起重机，因此而闻名天下。高华同时还是集装箱搬运自动化系统的先导。

　　高华的产品范围目前包括移动式港口起重机及相关派生产品，包括用于水平集装箱运输的港口起重机、浮式起重机及自动导向车（AGV），自动化堆积起重机（ASC）及宽跨距龙门系统。另外，公司还提供海运及管理软件来进行室内的AGV及ASC操作及互联。先进的模拟仿真技术在开工前协助了港口规划、设计、性能等各方面的评估。

　　高华产品适应于海运及陆上抗口操作，根据客户需求选择适当的配置。各装置间的配合操作通过软件项目进行，做到了严谨有效。

　　集装箱及散装货物运输急剧增多，加重了各港口货物搬运任务，使得更快的货物搬运及空间的良好运用逐渐成为了当务之急。因此，高华通过使用第五代起重机，提升了起升速度。起升速度是船只货物装卸中最为重要的性能因素。同时，高华改良了移动式港口起重机的拣选程序，极大地减少了生产间的时间间隔。依靠成功的移动式港口起重机技术，高华开发并推出了浮式起重机。浮式起重机配送间隔时间短，目前处于复兴阶段。尤其当浮式起重机在组合移动式港口起重机的基础上进行操作时，节省了码头空间，顺利解决了所有的问题。

　　高华的自动化堆积起重机不但改善了码头的自动化集装箱运输、堆积及检索效率，还提高了堆积密度，加快了工作进程。1-5种堆积方案，可变的堆积宽度，快速的存储及检索保证了集装箱堆场的高容量及高速度，同时实现了空间的最大化使用。在自动化水平集装箱运输方面，高华推出了其最新开发的自动提升导向车（Lift AGV）。Lift AGV结合了高华的先进AGV技术（几百台高华AGV正在使用中）及创新的科技，使得集装箱运输从存储程序中分离了出来，不但将所需车辆的数量减少了一半，还极大的提高了生产效率。

　　在单个机器与整个机器车队的互联方面，灵活的软件发挥了极为重要的作用。高华不遗余力地改善其软件系统，使其更易于整合入高级的码头管理系统（TOS）软件。该软件在改善码头生产效率方面发挥的功效不可限量，及大地提高了集装箱码头的搬运效率。仅用一项软件系统便能有效地链接海运及路上码头的搬运程序。通过提供系列产品，包括软件及硬件，高华港口有限公司为码头生产效率的可持续发展、防止港口拥塞做出了巨大的贡献。