Road Mobile Pneumatic Ship Unloader

A truck-towed, high-capacity pneumatic ship unloader for flexible port operations. No fixed infrastructure required, ideal for multi-terminal deployment.

The Vanguard Ariel is a road mobile pneumatic ship unloader for cement, fly ash and GGBS. It is mounted on a road-legal semi-trailer and travels to the berth behind a standard truck, so nothing has to be built into the quay. Powered by our Continuous Suction System, it discharges the vessel through a sealed pneumatic line at up to 185 tonnes per hour. Because it can be relocated between berths, or even between cities, in a matter of hours, it is a flexible and cost-efficient alternative to fixed shore-based unloading systems.

Key Benefits

Road-legal semi-trailer unit that serves several berths and ports
No fixed installation at the quay
Sealed pneumatic line from hold to silo
Up to 185 t/h with conveying up to 250 m
Materials handled: cement, fly ash, GGBS

Request for Quotation

Engineered for clean, flexible discharge

From the suction head in the hold to the silo, the Ariel is a fully enclosed pneumatic ship unloader. Here is how it works, which configurations are available and where it fits.

How the pneumatic ship unloader works

A suction head on the boom is lowered into the hold, where vacuum draws the cargo into one of two pressure vessels. While one vessel fills, the other discharges, so the material flows steadily through a sealed pipeline to a silo or another receiving point up to 250 meters away. Because the whole path is enclosed, dust stays inside the system and the cargo stays dry. The operator controls the process from the machine or, with the optional remote control, from the ship’s deck, and the unloader keeps working at a steady rate as the hold empties.

Heavy Duty Filtration

Integrated high-capacity jet-pulse filters clean the air released back into the atmosphere, regardless of the material handled. Filtration travels with the pneumatic ship unloader, keeping operations compliant with strict air quality standards without extra installations at the quay.

Remote Operation

Available with wireless remote control, allowing the operator to manage the suction head directly from the ship’s deck for improved visibility and precision, so the unloader can follow the cargo as the hold empties.

Environmental Protection

As a fully enclosed vacuum system, this road mobile pneumatic ship unloader keeps dust emissions to a fraction of open-handling methods, meeting the strictest environmental regulations in urban ports. The cargo also stays dry from hold to silo.

Ariel models and technical data

Two standard configurations: the Ariel Road Mobile 8000 for vessels up to 8,000 DWT and the Ariel Semi-Road Mobile 15000 for vessels up to 15,000 DWT. Both are electric, rated at up to 185 tonnes per hour with up to 250 meters of conveying. Transport dimensions are 13.6 x 2.5 x 4.3 meters, and a transport permit may be required depending on local regulations. Request the datasheet for full technical data.

Where a road mobile pneumatic ship unloader makes sense

t suits importers that use more than one berth or port, terminals with irregular vessel calls, and plants that cannot wait for civil works. At Hopa on the Black Sea, an Ariel works at the port facility of Aşkale Çimento with nothing built at the berth. The Ariel line goes back to 2010, when VURMAK deployed its first unit in Mersin.

Pneumatic or mechanical ship unloader?

A pneumatic unloader conveys cargo through a sealed line and can feed silos some distance from the berth. A mechanical, screw-type unloader such as our Mersea uses less energy per tonne and has a lighter structure. Our article Pneumatic or Mechanical: What Actually Decides Your Ship Unloader Choice walks through the trade-offs. Request a quote, or send us your vessel class, cargo and berth details and our engineering team will size an Ariel for your project.