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ABP's container operation at the Port of Immingham handles around 200,000 TEU annually. Such an extensive operation requires an advanced technology backbone - Autostore - now with the added control and precision of DGPS Container Positioning.
The terminal employs around 120 people and a range of mechanical handling equipment that includes several reach stacker trucks plus free-roaming rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTG), internal movement vehicles (IMVs) and two Liebherr ship-to-shore quay cranes. With around 200,000 TEU being handled annually in a round-the-clock operation, the Autostore terminal operating system (TOS) already helps to maximise the terminal's available capacity, raising container throughput, improving accuracy, cutting paperwork and delivering real-time management information in a variety of report formats.
Container throughput and turnaround times are critical success factors for the port and it is in this area where Autostore makes a major contribution to Immingham's competitiveness and efficiency. With a main stack that is seven containers wide by five high and forty long, the volume of containers is huge - around 1,400 - and its management demands absolute accuracy and safety. That's why Immingham has opted for the Autostore Container Positioning System (CPS), a position determination solution using a differential global positioning system (DGPS). This innovative GPS technology records which containers are where after each move and the exact positions of the RTGs at any given moment.
... it's an elegant technology solution ...
While a basic GPS device can determine positions to an accuracy of 10-20m, such a margin is nowhere near accurate enough for container move management. Based on the known, fixed position of the DGPS base station, Autostore calculates the position correction for each of Immingham's RTGs. The central controller on board each RTG interfaces to Autostore over the wireless network and each RTG carries a DGPS hardware module that links to the static DGPS receiver at the gatehouse.
The programmable logic controller (PLC) on board each RTG connects to Autostore via the crane interface, enabling Autostore to monitor twistlock and spreader commands for each crane. Positioning data is information is transmitted to and from the RTGs, accurate to within less than 50cm at any time. Supplementary position sensors then correct this tolerance to less than 10cm for maximum precision with container movements. Autostore converts the position data - in OS co-ordinates - into centimetre increments that enable it to determine which row and level in the container stack the RTG should be working.
The result? Autostore always knows the exact location of every container to almost the nearest centimetre, enabling ABP to manage all container movements and storage to and from the stack in a highly efficient way.
ABP Business Analyst Phil Hough:
"On the macro level, how efficiently we use our available space is critically important - we want to be able to process more cargo in less time and with the sort of land we need at a premium, do it using less space. On the micro level, we want to cut secondary handling and maximise the number of lifts per hour - and in turn, that means we need to know the precise location of every container in the stack at all times. That's a tall order - not only would a manual tally of the containers take days to complete but the tally is changing daily. It made sense to automate the process using Autostore's DGPS/CPS module.
"The operational and business benefits are significant. By using Autostore to automate container positioning, we've been able to lighten the workload significantly for our crane drivers. The user feedback we get is great - our drivers simply select the move, enter the check digit and Autostore looks after the rest. We've been able to eliminate costly human error and have significantly reduced secondary handling - both of which have a negative impact on lift per hour rates.
"Maximising the lifts per hour is very important as we operate under strict service level agreements with our customers. DGPS container positioning using Autostore enables us to hit these targets and the level of real-time and accurate operational data means we've improved turnaround times and lifts per hour. That means we're enhancing the level of service we offer to our customers. Autostore has also given us a real health and safety advantage too. Automation means we don't have to undertake manual tallies of the container stack, for example - and that gets people out of the yard and out of the way.
"Immingham is a big operation and a global player. Extending our use of Autostore into DGPS container positioning has had far-reaching consequences. We now have an unmatched level of efficiency when it comes to managing the container stack. Cutting-edge DGPS automation gives us more lifts per hour and faster ship turnaround without increasing the footprint of the terminal. The big pay-offs are that we can sweat our capital assets harder, improve our return on investment, increase revenue, enhance our competitiveness and drive up the profitability of the business."