Automated Stacking Crane (ASC)

An Automated Stacking Crane (ASC) is a driverless yard crane that lifts and stows containers within a stacking block at an automated terminal, sequenced by the terminal operating system to optimize stack moves and reduce rehandles. Most ASCs are rail-mounted (making ASC and ARMG near-synonyms in practice), often deployed as twin or pass-through pairs at each block end so waterside and landside transfers run in parallel. Sensors, position encoders, and anti-sway control let the crane place a box on an AGV or truck to centimeter accuracy without a human in the loop.