GravityVibe in Action: Self-Unloader Optimized

Following extensive studies to verify GravityVibe’s feasibility, MacGregor is now engaged in the real-world validation and optimization of its self-unloading system based on in-house testing and customer feedback.

Evidence that verifies the advantages of GravityVibe has been accumulating since MacGregor introduced the augmented gravity self-unloading system to market in February 2024.

Developed to allow bulk carriers to deliver a wider variety of cargo in greater volume, GravityVibe eases the discharge of coarse materials from cargo holds. In contrast with a standard gravity self-unloading configuration, where slope angles range from 35 to 60 degrees depending on the material, MacGregor’s system can discharge various cargo types with slope angles of just 15–20 degrees.

MacGregor collaborated with various international institutions and organizations to verify GravityVibe’s feasibility in theoretical studies. In a simulation based on a theoretical model of the system, TUNRA – a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Newcastle, Australia – found that GravityVibe functioned effectively with the three materials tested: wood chip, manufacturing sand, and gravel.

MacGregor later sought to ascertain the impact of the system’s vibrations and how to minimize their transfer into the vessel’s hull structure. The company worked with leading international sub-suppliers, and separately with the KTH Royal