4 Reasons Why Container Terminal Automation is Necessary 2014-10-30
We know that the goods that are purchased in stores come by trucks. Only a few know, however, that those goods have travelled a long way and that in that movement container terminals are of great importance. Container Terminals are “hidden” inside of some mega ports in the city, but once inside, there is one of the most revolutionized sectors in the industry.
For the past decades, traditional container trade has been changing with the new technologies, and in this important field, CyberLogitec is contributing a lot to its advance.
During the last decades of the 20th century, in the port industry, there have been great advances and it is by the following top 4 needs related to the automation in terminal industries:
1. Cost reduction
Facing pressure to reduce containers’ moving costs, operators pass it to container terminals. So, container terminals are forced to reduce the costs to offer competitive prices to the operators.
Labor-dependent, an old-fashioned model, doesn’t have competitive edge anymore. Therefore, the importance of cost reduction is getting bigger with new automated container terminals.
2. Accurate and fast operation
As a consequence of cost reduction, container terminals need to increase the productivity of operation moves/hour, so that they may provide operators with an opportunity to lessen berthing time for their vessels.
Precise control and optimized operation by the robust terminal operating system has increased terminal capacity, container traceability and productivity.
High container move productivity reduces shipping liners’ berthing time. The optimized yard stacking policy with up-to-date TOS (terminal operating system) logics for automatic machines increases total terminal capacity. And tracking every point of container movement from the point of terminal-in to terminal-out without any human intervention ensures safety of containers and great credit for shipping liners and cargo owners.
3. Safety
Container terminals have big machineries and companies are increasing the security measures by replacing dangerous areas with fully automated areas.
Still, we should admit that there are more areas which we need to automate in terms of safety. However, equipment that is already automated such as automatic yard stacking cranes, unmanned shuttle carriers, AGVs (automatic guided vehicles) and remote control of heavy machineries such as quay cranes are now doing risky jobs instead of human beings.
There is no doubt that terminal operators should have full availability for shipping liners. Once there is any accident caused by safety issues, the terminal will not be able to avoid operation stoppage and attract shipping liners anymore.
4. Stable and sustainable business (Green Layout)
Container terminals must adapt to the new environmental rules, especially in Europe. This generates the need to change the traditional RGT’s machinery to the ASC’s machinery, with zero CO2 emissions.
Needs for green ports are increasing in every country and that is one of the rationales for cost reduction, as it will be pushed through environmental protection programs.
Environmentally friendly port operation with a fully automatic solution is definitely the right way for stable and sustainable terminal business.
