CBM and RCM Drive Safety and Uptime at YICT with Six Sigma Excellence

As one of the world’s largest single‑container terminals, Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) in Shenzhen upholds the highest standards of professionalism, reliability, and efficiency—all underpinned by a strong safety culture.

With 74 massive quay cranes spread across five deep‑water berths and an annual throughput of roughly 10 million TEUs, YICT’s operations demand flawless coordination and rigorous maintenance. From the early planning stages through construction and into daily operations, the terminal has adopted a Total Quality Management philosophy.

Today, Six Sigma guides nearly every process improvement initiative, including the terminal’s maintenance strategy. The quay‑crane maintenance manager holds a Six Sigma black‑belt certification and oversees a sophisticated engineering control centre that integrates CCTV, telemetry, and real‑time monitoring of every critical component—down to individual electric motors—ensuring 24‑hour uptime.

Strategic Maintenance: From Time‑Based to CBM & RCM

YICT’s maintenance framework now blends time‑based scheduling with condition‑based monitoring (CBM) and Reliability‑Centred Maintenance (RCM). This hybrid approach balances cost and effectiveness across the terminal’s vast array of equipment.

For instance, a CBM‑driven intervention on a gearbox was completed within two weeks, compared with a two‑month repair window at a port that relied on time‑based maintenance. The result was a four‑fold reduction in financial and operational impact.

At the core of this strategy lies continuous online monitoring—early detection of wear patterns that allows swift, targeted action. While not a panacea, it is a high‑return investment for safeguarding operationally or safety‑critical machinery.

YICT has recently concluded a three‑year pilot using SKF’s online monitoring technology on the gearboxes of two quay cranes, demonstrating the tangible benefits of this approach.

Safety First: Protecting Lives and Assets

The monitored gearboxes sit roughly 100 meters above ground within the cranes’ “workhouse.” They drive the roll drums that lower the heavy‑duty wire cables used to lift containers.

A sudden gearbox seizure could cause a container to swing or drop, jeopardising personnel safety and risking catastrophic damage. Preventing such failures is therefore a top priority, alongside maintaining throughput for operators, shippers, and end‑customers.

Critical Components Under Constant Surveillance

Bearings—supporting gear shafts—are a common source of gearbox failure. Wear or damage, if unaddressed, can lead to catastrophic failure.

SKF’s online system tracks bearing health via vibration sensors mounted on the gearbox housing. Each bearing type produces a distinct vibration signature, which varies with load and operating conditions.

By trending these signatures over time and storing data on a central server, YICT engineers gain a reliable health snapshot for each bearing, enabling proactive maintenance before failure occurs.

Interpreting these signals requires specialized knowledge, which YICT engineers have developed through SKF‑led training and continuous collaboration with SKF experts.

Building Confidence and Expanding Reach

With a fully trained condition‑monitoring team and three years of proven success, YICT plans to roll out monitoring across more cranes and explore SKF’s latest multi‑channel solutions.

The upcoming system, featuring 32 analogue and 16 digital channels, will monitor bearings, gearboxes, and motors simultaneously—driving further maintenance cost savings and reinforcing YICT’s Six Sigma‑driven culture of professionalism, reliability, efficiency, and safety.