Global Container Terminals to use Cargotec's Kalmar SmartPort solution

GLOBAL Container Terminals in New Jersey plans to implement Cargotec's Kalmar SmartQuay system, calling for six quay cranes as part of its automation project to improve productivity.

The system captures data on container movements, builds ship plans and provides tools for managing traffic at the quay. The cranes use optical character recognition to gather and deploy container movement data.

The company is also implementing the APS MatchMaker system to automatically associate containers to yard trucks during handoff and the APS X-Clerk exception handling system.

The new crane identifies containers loaded and discharged by the quay cranes to improve data accuracy, throughput and safety, while decreasing overall operating costs. The implementation includes in-flight OCR cameras between the cranes' legs and in the back reach, in addition to portal beam cameras for automated door direction detection. Global Container Terminal is also using the APS MatchMaker system to automatically associate containers to terminal-owned trucks during handoff, allowing for automated work assignment and confirmation without manual intervention.

"Global Container Terminals was looking for a solution that would maximise the efficiency, safety and data quality of quay operations for our terminal. Cargotec and APS Technologies will enable us to provide a better service to our customer through the use of these advanced solutions," said Richard Ceci, vice president, information technology.