AOTUO expands screw ship unloader solutions for dry bulk terminals

AOTUO, the brand of Hangzhou Aotuo Mechanical and Electrical Co., Ltd., is broadening its screw ship unloader and dry bulk transfer lineup as ports demand more efficiency, dust control and automation. The company says its equipment now serves more than 200 ports and terminals worldwide and supports materials from cement and coal to grain and mineral powder.

Why it matters: - Dry bulk terminals need equipment that can handle unloading, dust control, conveying and storage as one coordinated system. - Port operators are putting more weight on environmental performance, automation and adaptability to different terminal layouts. - AOTUO is positioning its screw ship unloader technology as part of that shift toward integrated dry bulk handling.

What happened: - AOTUO, the brand of Hangzhou Aotuo Mechanical and Electrical Co., Ltd., says it has focused on screw ship unloading and dry bulk material transfer since 2003. - The company says its portfolio covers fixed, rail-mounted, vehicle-mounted, tyre-mounted and shipborne screw ship unloaders. - AOTUO reports a maximum designed unloading capacity of 3,000 tonnes per hour and equipment designed for vessels up to 200,000 DWT. - The company says its core products serve more than 200 ports and terminals worldwide, with more than 350 performance sets. - International applications include Australia, Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Russia. - More information is available at AOTUO's website.

The details: - AOTUO's equipment is used for cement, clinker, coal, grain, mineral powder, fertilizer raw materials, copper concentrate, stone and fly ash. - The company also develops ship loaders, dust suppression hopper loaders, conveying equipment, dust collectors, metering control systems, industrial automation systems and intelligent control systems. - AOTUO says its product development has also included screw elevators, pneumatic bulk loading heads, dust-free loading machines and online cleaning systems. - The company says it developed and delivered a continuous multi-material ship unloader in 2024. - AOTUO says it completed and delivered an active obstacle-avoiding automatic ship-loading robot in 2025. - AOTUO reports more than 100 patents covering inventions, utility models, designs and software copyrights. - The company says it has participated in industry standards for bulk cement screw ship unloaders, cement air conveying chutes and complete equipment for bulk cement transfer stations. - AOTUO says its cement clinker and coal screw ship unloader with supporting transfer system was recognized as China's First (Set) Major Technical Equipment. - The company operates a Class A production workshop of nearly 14,000 square meters. - Manufacturing and inspection tools include CNC machining, laser tracking, ultrasonic flaw detection, thickness measurement, automated welding robots, dedicated process lines, welding lines and painting assembly lines.

Between the lines: - The product mix suggests AOTUO is selling more than a single machine. It is building out a broader port-handling platform. - The emphasis on dust suppression, enclosed conveying and automation reflects pressure on terminals to improve both throughput and environmental performance. - The company's development path shows a move from mechanical unloading toward more intelligent, system-level port equipment.

What's next: - AOTUO says it will continue developing equipment for dry bulk terminals as logistics requirements evolve. - Future demand is likely to center on tighter integration between unloading, transfer, dust control and automation. - The company is likely to keep expanding applications across domestic and international markets.

The bottom line: - AOTUO is trying to own more of the dry bulk handling stack, not just the unloading step.