Buenaventura Container Terminal Invests $3.5 million

The Buenaventura Container Terminal (TCBuen) in Colombia, part of Grup Maritim TCB, is the first terminal in Latin America to implement new OCR systems, Match Maker and DGPS on quay and yard cranes, as well as in processes of gate entry and exit. The investment amounts to $3.5 million.

The TCBuen marine terminal implement the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) operations at the end of 2011, concluding the complete installation in December 2012 to optimise and allow real-time traceability of all containers entering and leaving the terminal. The software also captures vehicle registration and weight.

The OCR system on the quay cranes, as well as at the gates, can recognize the alphanumeric container number and of the TT (Truck Internal) every time the crane performs a movement and checks with the internal T.O.S. system whether a container is scheduled and authorised for that operation.

The Match Maker system identifies the vehicles during loading or unloading of a container identified by the OCR, so that at all times the system checks all the loading cycles. It also controls the movements of trucks passing through the gate, ensuring maximum reliability in delivery and / or receipt of the container.

Finally, the DGPS (Differential GPS) confirms, via satellite, that movements of containers correspond with movements that have been assigned by T.O.S. to ensure greater security, absolute reliability and efficiency of inventory in the entire operation, thus minimizing transit times of the terminal and operating costs.

Moreover, Grup TCB has launched a pilot project for the SURESTOW system, which verifies positions of all containers aboard the ship via satellite. This innovative system will be implemented this March.