The E-SMART system developed for Terminal operations by UK based International Terminal Solutions Ltd (ITS) is presently completing a GPRS mobile GSM beta phase test live at the port of Liverpool UK. E-SMART provides immediate visualisation of equipment status and plant faults. The system uses large clear icons on a full screen display allowing the supervisory staff to quickly identify any issues resulting in remedial action without delay or confusion. E-SMART also provides statistics for KPIs such as, equipment availability and outages, and can be used to trend and identify repeat issues and monitor performance. Management dashboards are provided allowing key staff and managers across the terminal to view the live status of the equipment and the equipment history.
Richard Lambert, Managing Director, International Terminal Solutions commented " E-SMART provides terrific benefits and rapid return on investment in the stand alone server based format, however some of our customers want to go one step further with reporting directly from the mobile equipment. Previously these customers running the E-SMART remote communication module were limited to the areas covered by a WiFi network. Now with the GPRS module the system can run in wider sites or across sites were the customer has multiple operations or sites. Liverpool is an ideal Port for us to test the GPRS module because as well as operating in the container terminal, several of the cargo handling vehicles operate in the 1,200 acres of operational docks and outside the coverage of the container terminal WiFi network"
E-SMART provides a good platform to share information between the operations and maintenance functions allowing the operations staff to see at a glance what equipment can be used for operations, and when additional equipment is available following service work.
Richard Lambert went on to say "This GPRS communication module is just one of many planned stages on our E-SMART development. It will allow a broader range of Port operations to have full visibility of their equipment's live operational status".
Systems provided by ITS have been installed on Liebherr's new 1 over 3 straddle carrier at the Peel Ports Terminal, in Liverpool.
The Straddle Carrier is a new product line for Liebherr, an established supplier of container handling equipment. The new Carrier is a low maintenance design to provide maximum equipment utilisation and the implementation of the G-POS and E-SMART systems on the carrier will help the terminal ensure the carriers operation is optimised. As well as G-POS providing full GPS tracking the systems implemented include keyless "Job steps", driver notification of container size to allow the spreader to be pre-set before arriving at the pick-up location and security card driver authentication.
The terminal management are using E-SMART (Equipment - Status Monitoring & Automated Reports Transfer) system for the Straddle Carrier operation at the Royal Seaforth Container terminal to alert them when the equipment has broken down, show them what the fault is, when it is being repaired, and when it is available for operation again. The system also shows scheduled maintenance and accidental damage.
E-SMART is used by the maintenance team to alert them of equipment faults, allowing them to automatically keep the management team informed of the status. E-SMART also reports the equipment as operational again once repaired. It is also used by the operations team to see the equipment availability in real time and when equipment is ready for operation again following an outage.
E-SMART the plant and equipment visualisation management tool provided by UK based International Terminal Solutions Ltd (ITS), recently went live at the DCT Gdansk terminal in Poland.
DCT Gdansk operates over 100 items of container handling equipment including reach stackers, empty handlers, STS and RTG cranes and trucks. The E-SMART system provides immediate visualisation of equipment status and plant faults using large clear icons allowing the terminal to quickly identify any issues for rapid remedial action.
Boris Wenzel, DCT CEO says "DCT is a rapidly growing terminal. The deployment of E class vessels on the Maersk Line AE10 string to Gdansk since May 2011 has been another important step in DCT's development. More intensive operations on E class vessels also mean we need the most efficient solutions to ensure the most optimal deployment of equipment and minimize downtime."
E-SMART also provides statistics for KPIs such as, equipment availability and outages, and can be used to trend and identify repeat issues and monitor performance. Management dashboards are provided allowing key staff and managers across the terminal to view the live status of the equipment and the equipment history.
"It is crucial for us to provide the highest quality of our services" says Jedrzej Mierzewski, DCT Chief Operations Officer. "As a company which is developing constantly, we need solutions that optimise our operational equipment effectiveness. E-SMART provides a good platform to share information between the operations and maintenance functions, and clearly allows the operations staff to see what equipment is available to them and when equipment is available following service work."
Richard Lambert, ITS' Managing Director commented "we are very pleased to work with DCT Gdansk. They are a forward looking, proactive organisation that recognises the major benefits that can be achieved by integrating technology within the operational environment. We only launched E-SMART on our web site PortAutomation.com in March this year, and DCT Gdansk represents our third implementation this year, and we are naturally very pleased they selected E-SMART for their terminal".
An ITS yard wide RDT system and middleware solution recently went live at the Ignazio Messina Terminal, Genoa, Italy, along with the new Terminal Operating System, Jade Master Terminal (JMT).
This year the Messina Terminal expects to handle more than 250,000 twenty foot equivalent units, 126,000 linear metres of vehicles, and around 50,000 tonnes of general cargo with volumes expected to increase. Captain Adriano Spotti, Operations Manager Ignazio Messina, said the go-live was achieved with minimal impact on operations and no adverse effects on local traffic and businesses.
The ITS Middleware is a flexible system that allows multi-connectivity between mobile equipment and various management systems and at Genoa is connected to JMT via XML, and the ITS E-SMART system.
Messina Lines a long established RORO operator based in the historic shipping port of Genoa, selected ITS to provide its latest E-SMART operational status tools. The system provides remote access for management and key terminal personnel. From their desktops they can view the terminal status in real-time with live information and also access details on equipment history. The maintenance department can easily see the instant an equipment repair request is received and also the active status of the ongoing work. Once complete, operations can see that the equipment is once again available for work.
ITS have successfully implemented the G-POS Container handling equipment GPS system across the full fleet of Straddle carriers at Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, Liverpool.
As part of the phase II upgrade all the straddle carriers have been installed with The D-MON driver identification and authorisation system. The system links in to the G-POS GPS system and reads the drivers ISPS security card to check identity and authorisation to drive the equipment. If the driver is a valid user the system will automatically log him on to the Terminal Operating System (TOS) SPARCS. If he is not an authorised driver the equipment will not be permitted to move. The system provides keyless log on for the equipment drivers, and security and safety for the terminal operations.
Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, Liverpool, England, have gone live with the first phase implementation of the ITS G-POS system. The contract to replace the existing Savcor One system was secured by ITS by demonstrating high levels of service, reliable technology, and track record. The installation on the initial 14 Straddle Carriers included GPS tracking and operator touch displays in the driver’s cabs. The installation also utilises the ITS middleware platform to connect to Zebra Enterprise Solutions (ZES) SPARCS TOS system and connects to the site wide WIFI network to monitor and direct all equipment and container movements. The implementation of the G-POS system has already seen major improvements in equipment utilisation; system reliability and gate/truck turn round times. Phase 1 of the MDHC programme is the beginning of a rolling implementation programme expected to see major improvements in customer service levels and resource utilisation.
ITS have completed the implementation of 4 G-POS GPS based systems for Maersk Espana.
The systems include:
- ITS radio data network to provide the yard operators with an automated link to the management systems.
- GPS equipment tracking and container position determination to allow the most efficient targeting of work instructions and confirmation of grounding positions.
- Equipment/operator security. Machine readable ID cards authorise operators to use equipment and access data. Equipment is prevented from operating without the correct driver for that shift.
- Equipment maintenance logger. Provides a data link to the terminals ERP system to automatically generate work orders, and to operations to provide an automated overview of the operational status of the equipment in real-time.
As part of a planned upgrade programme of their main hub terminal, Messina Lines have selected ITS to provide a yard wide RDT system and middleware solution. The ITS solution provided the port with a strategic platform for expansion. The ITS Middleware is a flexible system that allows multi-connectivity between mobile equipment and various management systems in the form of various client and server connections and also serial data connections. Messina Lines had well defined key objectives these were to fully utilise and optimise the features in the new terminal operation system Jade Master Terminal, to have live monitoring of the operation, easy to use mobile systems and reliable resilient wireless communications. A key feature of the ITS middleware is its ability to connect to clients using XML protocols to allow modern TOS systems to communicate efficiently and also utilise a range of wireless communication methods to the mobile equipment including WIFI, WLAN, and Narrowband. In Messina Lines case the truck heads go in and out of the vessel and limited locations in the yard for WIFI APs exist. As such Messina Lines utilised the Narrow band radio option to allow the full functionality of the TOS systems and reliability of wireless communications. The implementation selected by Messina Lines has given them reliability without sacrificing functionality and an ideal platform for future expansion.
As part of an integrated yard wide solution ITS are providing live operational container weighing data for an Italian RORO Terminal Operator. The Terminal serves the European and African markets and sometimes find that the declared weights are not as accurate as they should be. In order to ensure optimum cargo loading and Vessel stability ITS have provided an additional module within its mobile computer application. Upon the lift of a container the TOS system is informed and if requested the container is actually weighed whilst on the spreader and the data transmitted to the TOS. If the weight is outside its weight classification it is re-planned to a different location.
ITS announce the expansion of the G-POS range of industrial strength PCs. The ITS G-POS range are specially designed for installation on mobile equipment for asset and product track, trace, and monitoring purposes and come with a range of wireless connectivity options. The G-POS equipment is primarily used in container handling operations for installation on the mobile handeling equipment. The expansion of the G-POS range allow the installation of the ITS suite of container handling optimisation systems on all types of handling equipment such as STS, RMG, RTG cranes; Straddle Carriers, Reachstackers, Top Loaders, Empty Handlers and IMV truck heads. ITS have already had significant interest in the developments from several forward looking container terminals.
Whilst planning a berth reorganisation requiring the movement of some STS cranes for larger vessels, it became apparent that the extended back reach provided by the larger cranes was a potential safety risk to the yard crane operation. The terminal chose to implement the ITS "safe zone" control software on all the RTG yard cranes to allow the berth to be optimised and remove the risk of an RTG to STS spreader collision. The ITS "Safe zone" system is a software application that uses the existing GPS equipment installed on the RTG and allows the terminal to set up safe zones where the system will not allow the driver to drive the crane. The system can be configured for any area and differently on different equipment should the operating characteristics allow some to operate where others may not. "Safe zone" is also provided with a supervisory override facility and offers a very cost effective solution at around $100 USD per crane.
The Spanish terminal have ordered a further 2 ITS' equipment status monitoring, security access control and container load/ discharge work terminals. The front end users log-on with their security access cards providing the operational management and maintenance with an instant overview of the operation status of the equipment. Included in the package is the ITS Quay control system connecting to Navis SPARCS via XML and providing windows screens for the load and discharge of the vessels.
For previous news, please contact us.
