MacGregor has secured a contract to replace programmable logic controllers on the quarter ramps of 35 Wallenius Wilhelmsen pure car and truck carriers. The work will be carried out according to each vessel’s sailing schedule and availability, allowing the shipping group to modernise cargo-handling controls while organising downtime around operational commitments. MacGregor originally supplied equipment during the vessels’ construction and booked the new retrofit order in the third quarter of 2026.
Quarter ramps are used to move rolling cargo between a ship and shore, giving vehicle carriers a way to load and unload cars, trucks and other wheeled equipment at port. Their movement requires coordinated control of machinery and associated safety systems. Programmable logic controllers execute the electrical control sequences that govern equipment operation, and older units can become increasingly difficult to support as components, software tools and replacement parts change over a vessel’s service life. The contract focuses specifically on quarter-ramp PLCs rather than a wholesale replacement of each ship’s automation system.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s pure car and truck carriers load and unload wheeled cargo repeatedly across their port rotations, making reliable ramp operation part of the vessels’ working cycle. A controller failure can interrupt cargo movements even when a ramp’s mechanical structure remains serviceable. Upgrading the electronic controls can therefore extend the useful life of handling equipment fitted during original construction, while keeping the major ramp structures and drive machinery in place. The scope is confined to the systems specified in this order.
A PLC receives information from sensors and operator controls, then processes the programmed logic governing outputs to actuators and other devices. In a cargo-ramp installation, the actual control configuration must correspond to the installed lifting, locking and movement mechanisms. Replacement work requires a compatible control arrangement and careful testing of the equipment’s intended operating sequence. The design of any replacement must also account for interfaces to the remaining equipment, because a change to one component can affect how the rest of the ramp-control system exchanges signals.
The engineering work extends beyond swapping a cabinet component. Vessel operators need a reliable way to transfer the existing operational functions to new hardware, confirm that inputs and outputs are mapped correctly and test the machine’s responses before returning it to service. Access to onboard equipment, cables and connections can constrain installation work, while shipboard operating conditions place their own demands on electronics. Testing must reflect each vessel’s particular ramp arrangement, including any differences in sensors, signals and operator interfaces.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen plans to retain the removed controllers onboard as spares for other roll-on, roll-off equipment on the same vessels or for ships fitted with compatible systems. This means the replacement programme also provides a stock of legacy components that can help support equipment still using the older hardware. Such reuse depends on matching the device and configuration to the intended installation, as well as its remaining condition. The approach is intended to reduce unnecessary disposal while allowing quarter-ramp controls to move to a more maintainable platform.
Long-service industrial equipment often outlasts the electronic controllers originally fitted to it. Steelwork, hydraulic cylinders and mechanical drives can remain functional after a PLC platform has become difficult to repair or support, prompting replacement work that must preserve existing machine functions. A newer controller brings requirements for software transfer, communications checks, commissioning records and maintenance training. Common hardware across the fleet may simplify future support, provided the documentation retains the differences between vessels and their ramp configurations.
Installation will be arranged around each vessel’s operating programme, with access windows determining when engineers can reach the quarter-ramp control equipment. Differences in the installed systems may affect how quickly individual upgrades are completed and tested. MacGregor’s role as supplier of the original handling equipment gives it a basis for matching replacement controls to the relevant mechanical arrangements, while Wallenius Wilhelmsen can coordinate the work with scheduled vessel availability and port operations.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen fleet manager Tom Forrester-Coles has linked the programme to maintaining dependable equipment and limiting interruptions to customers’ cargo services. Tomas Hakala, executive vice-president of Global Services at MacGregor, has framed the work as a continuation of support for equipment supplied at the shipbuilding stage. The two companies are retaining the existing cargo-handling assets while updating one of the electronic elements that governs their use, a narrower intervention than replacement of the complete ramp assembly.
With the order included in MacGregor’s third-quarter intake, the next practical milestone is installing and checking the replacement controllers on individual ships. Commissioning must establish that the ramp responds correctly to operating commands, sensors and relevant safety functions before it returns to cargo service. The retained legacy controllers will provide compatible spares for other roll-on, roll-off equipment, supporting the fleet’s remaining installed systems alongside the quarter-ramp upgrades.
