TCP is implementing one of the largest investment programs in the Brazilian port industry aimed at expanding capacity and increasing efficiency. In fact, terminal capacity increased 50% this year to 1.2million TEUs per year. Terminal productivity increased from 30 moves per hour in 2010 to 56 moves per hour last month. The APS solutions will further help TCP handle larger gate volumes and streamline the current rail discharge process by automating the identification of rail-laden containers and their associated weights into the company’s terminal operating system. Currently, the rail process is cumbersome and time-consuming – trains come in three times a day, a reach stacker picks the container off the train and puts it on a truck. The truck drives to the main gate for weighing and then is taken to be stored in the stacks. The APS OCR container identification solution will work in tandem with a new weight-capture system with in-ground weight sensors under the track. The weight and identification will be captured while the train is in motion, eliminating multiple steps from the process and dramatically boosting efficiency.
“Since the change of TCP shareholding structure last year, when the private equity fund Advent International acquired 50% of TCP, we launched several initiatives to increase efficiency and productivity. The implementation of best of breed technology solutions, as the APS OCR systems, will allow us to achieve further operational improvements, elevating TCP operations to the level of the best terminals in the world” said Luiz Antonio Alves, TCP’s CFO.
“The Brazil container shipping market has been growing every year for over a decade and is expected to continue to grow,” said Allen Thomas, APS COO. “Implementing automation and technology to improve efficiency will give terminals a competitive edge. We’re glad to be a part of this important project installing the first on-dock rail OCR in South America.”
