OCR options are increasingly popular
"Both security and the necessity for more efficient and accurate automation at the gates are driving uptake." Phil Elovic, HTS
Israel-based Hi Tech Solutions (HTS) says that it is seeing demand for OCR-based automatic gate systems throughout the Americas, Europe and at most ports in Asia.
"Both security and the necessity for more efficient and accurate automation at the gates are driving uptake. In part, security applications are being prompted by the CSI Program and the US Second Line of Defence programme. Significantly, gate automation technologies are being increasingly expanded to include the quay cranes and the rail systems, too," says HTS president and chief executive Phil Elovic.
The number of systems now being incorporated into gate systems at ports continues to grow as operators continue to embrace new technologies and then identify additional demands to increase the overall automation of the gate process. Mr Elovic says that container OCR, license plate recognition (LPR), damage inspection, IMO label detection, door detection for container handling equipment, seal detection, and the typical components of a pedestal kiosk system (RFID, smart card reader, VOIP) are all now in common circulation.
Asked whether manned gates might now become a thing of the past, he points out that both management of gate systems and the handling of exceptions can be done nowadays mostly by remotely situated staff. Because of the automated nature of the gate, these employees have seen a significant reduction in workload.
"Prior to implementing an automated gate system, terminals evaluate several factors, which typically include increasing the capacity of the gates, better utilisation of personnel, more accurate recording and logging of traffic and throughput, and finally ROI. The ROI differs greatly, with the key factors being local labour costs and the level of automation employed. HTS customers have reported ROI periods ranging from several months to 1-2 years," says Mr Elovic.
In terms of accuracy, container OCR and LPR systems should average 96%-98% of readable numbers. Typically, gates will pass 1%-2% traffic with unreadable numbers. But equally important is the provision of an effective exception handling system, recognising the fact that both automation and manual systems will never be 100% accurate.
Asked whether a truck could anonymously pass through a terminal gate system without recognition taking place, Mr Elovic says that a well-designed automated system records each transaction. If a positive recognition fails to take place, an alert should always be raised, he says.
But can automated gates be incorporated into all facilities? Mr Elovic points out that costs and the effort required vary largely depending on the layout and constraints of the existing facility. Often the proper layout design of the automated process and traffic management is critical for an automated system to provide optimal performance, and these factors must be taken into consideration prior to deployment of an automatic gate system. However, these would not normally obviate against adoption of such a system.
HTS, together with Elbex Technlogies, has recently commissioned a new low-maintenance all-enclosed gantry gate system in the port of Antwerp. This combines into a single enclosed IP66 structure all SeeGate2 components, electrical cabinet, cabling and connections. The system eliminates all camera and illumination unit enclosures and brackets by mounting them inside the gantry, eliminating the need for periodical position adjustments or replacement resulting from physical damage.
The new design, says Mr Elovic, provides a rugged solid structure steel square pole with all SeeGate2 system components mounted entirely inside the gantry. Compared with a conventional gantry design, this structure provides a weather-resistant system, given the lack of external cabling, brackets and enclosures. It can also operate under extreme weather and temperature conditions, as well as being fully vandal-proof and protected from mechanical impact. Furthermore, it significantly reduces erection and commissioning time at the installation site.
In addition, air-conditioning can be accommodated inside the gantry, while mean time between failures is significantly increased and maintenance requirements reduced, the aim being to provide trouble-free operation over the longer term.
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