MultiRio Chooses APS Technology for Crane Automation at Container Terminal

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- APS Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of optical character recognition (OCR) and process automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal container terminals, announced the award of a crane automation solution project for the MultiRio container terminal in Rio de Janeiro.  MultiRio is owned by the Multiterminais Group, one of the largest marine terminal and dry port operators in Brazil. MultiRio chose the APS Crane Automation Solution to support a major expansion at the terminal. The APS Crane Solutions will automatically identify containers loaded and discharged by the STS cranes to improve data accuracy, efficiency, and safety while reducing operating costs.

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The MultiRio container terminal covers 185,000 square meters and handles more than 45 containers per hour. The company is embarking on a major expansion and updating technology is a key to the process. APS will implement the Crane Automation Solutions along with its local maintenance and support partner, Deskline Technology Solutions. The solutions will be fully integrated with Navis SPARCS. The solutions being installed include:

• Crane OCR – automates identification of containers during the load/discharge process.
• MatchMaker – to automatically associate containers to terminal-owned trucks during handoff, allowing for work assignment and confirmation without manual intervention.
• SureStow – to automatically verify the final load position of containers onboard the vessel.  SureStow compares the planned load events to the actual placement and notes any deviation from the plan.
• X-Clerk Exception Handling System to enable remote resolution of OCR misreads, stowage exceptions and MatchMaker errors.

"We pride ourselves in being a technology leader, and we choose our partners accordingly. APS provides the right mix of product capabilities with proven integration.  We expect the return on Investment (ROI) for this project to be two years or less," said Antonio Rodrigues, IT Director for MultiRio.

About Multiterminais

Multiterminais, an integrated logistics company, was founded in 1986 and began operating the first Customs Bonded Dockside Terminal in Brazil in an area contiguous to the Port of Rio de Janeiro.  Today, Multiterminais is among the largest marine terminal and dry port operators in Brazil and a leader in providing integrated logistics solutions to support Brazilian foreign trade. For more information, visit multiterminais.com.br.

About APS Technology Group

APS Technology Group is a leading provider of OCR and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal terminals.  The solutions improve the productivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness of container operations by increasing the visibility, velocity, and volume of cargo moving through a terminal's gate, rail, vessel and yard operations.

APS leads the industry with over 700 OCR and automation systems installed at 43 marine and intermodal container terminals in 14 countries around the world, including APM Terminals, CSX Railroad, and DP World.  The company is located in San Diego, CA and has offices or partner resellers in North America, South America, Asia and Europe. For more information, call +1 858.571.4444 or visit http://www.aps-technology.com.

SOURCE APS Technology Group, Inc.