Brazil's TCP Chooses APS Technology for Gate and Rail OCR Container Terminal Solutions

SAN DIEGO, April 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- APS Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of optical character recognition (OCR) and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal container terminals, announced Terminal de Conteineres de Paranagua  (TCP), the third largest container terminal in Brazil, has chosen APS Technology for gate OCR and rail OCR solutions at its terminal.  This is the first on-dock rail OCR solution to be installed in South America. TCP is implementing the APS Automated Gate System OCR solution and rail OCR solution to boost efficiency and eliminate congestion.  The solution will automate the container identification process at the gate and rail entry and exit points with the collection of high-resolution images.

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, such 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 shipping market has been growing every year for over a decade and is expected to continue to grow," said Allen Thomas, APS COO.  "Implementing technology to improve efficiency will give terminals a competitive edge."

About TCP
TCP is Brasil's third-largest container port terminal, operating under a concession regime at the Port of Paranagua since 1998. More information about TCP is available at www.tcp.com.br.

About APS Technology Group
APS has over 1000 OCR and automation systems installed at 44 marine and intermodal container terminals in 14 countries.  For information, call +1 858.571.4444 or visit http://www.aps-technology.com.

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Allen Thomas
http://www.profnetconnect.com/allen_thomas

SOURCE APS Technology Group, Inc.