Bulk loading systems in Thai ports typically combine long belt conveyors, bucket elevators and ship loaders, with high lifting heights and large throughput. If a power failure or electrical fault occurs during loading and the drive backstops are undersized, huge amounts of material can run back down the belts and elevators, posing serious risks to equipment and ship safety.

Because each section carries a different load, our recommendations to port engineering companies are to use different classes of one-way clutches on heavy-lift and medium-load sections. At the main lifting drives, we specify roller-type one-way clutch bearings with integral inner races supplied by our company under the Suma brand—models such as ASNU50 and ASNU60, which suit approx. 50–60 mm shafts. A full complement of rollers delivers high backstop torque and excellent shock resistance. The outer race mounts in large housings, providing both radial support and backstop function at critical lift points.

For medium-load or long horizontal conveyors, a more compact integrated solution is appropriate. Here we recommend Suma GFK40 and GFK45 integrated one-way clutch bearings, suitable for approx. 40–45 mm output shafts. GFK uses a sprag-type one-way mechanism inside an outer geometry similar to 63-series ball bearings, allowing it to be installed directly in gearbox end-cap bearing seats. This combines bearing support and one-way protection in a single component, providing adequate backstop torque without significantly increasing the installation envelope.

In an actual project at a Thai port, the engineering company followed this concept, standardizing on ASNU clutches for main lift sections and GFK clutches for ship-loader tails and long horizontal belts. During multiple simulated power-failure tests, the heavy-lift sections were quickly locked by ASNU, while the GFK units on medium-load conveyors prevented large-scale belt runback. Material movement was limited to minor local shifts, and massive reverse flow incidents were avoided.

For port operators, this graded backstop strategy strikes a balance between investment and safety—using high-capacity roller clutches at the most critical points, and compact integrated bearings on supporting sections, yielding both redundancy and serviceability. For EPC contractors, combining Suma ASNU and GFK in this way also makes it easier to explain drive safety strategies in technical documentation, improving bid success rates and customer confidence.