Navis, a part of Cargotec Corporation and the global technology standard for managing the movement of cargo through terminals, with APS Technology Group, Inc., announced Yusen Terminals International (YTI) of San Pedro, CA, has implemented the quay crane optical character recognition (OCR) solution provided by APS Technology through the Navis STAR Technology Alliance. The solution enables YTI to automatically identify containers loaded and discharged by the cranes to improve data accuracy, efficiency and safety.

The integrated suite of APS OCR hardware and software components provides YTI with automated identification of containers, tractors and vessel stowage locations during the load/discharge process of each ship-to-shore (STS) crane. YTI implemented the APS OCR solution on ten cranes at the facility and is also using APS MatchMakerTM to automatically associate containers to terminal-owned trucks during handoff, allowing for work assignments and confirmation without manual intervention. The OCR solutions integrate seamlessly with Navis SPARCS and will help YTI maximize previous automation investments, such as Position Detection Systems (PDS) and Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS).

“The APS solution is the most deployed STS Crane OCR system in the world with over 100 systems installed since 2002. Operators can attain ROI in as little as three months,” said Allen Thomas, COO for APS Technology. “There is no manual data entry required and no personnel under the crane. By the time the container has been loaded or discharged, all key data has been transmitted to the TOS for processing and automation of the ‘handoff’ event at the quay.”