Patrick works in the dark

Lighting control software, which was developed by the stevedore’s engineering department, enables terminal operators to individually control each light within the facility.

Bulbs in the terminal are automatically alternated to maximise bulb life, which reduces lighting in the yard to 16%, just enough light for camera observation.

Such low lighting levels are possible because Patrick’s AutoStrad straddles, which are unmanned, do not require light to operate effectively.

Lighting in the truck grid area and on the wharf has also been reduced to 50%, just enough to ensure adequate illumination is available for employees working within these key areas.

The lighting reduction is another in a list of automation innovations introduced at the Brisbane terminal.

Patrick developed the automated AutoStrad straddles and a world first in non-line-of-sight remote operations.

Late last year the Patrick AutoStrad Terminal set a record for containers moved by a single gantry crane in a standard shift within its facility. A total of 381 containers were exchanged on the MSC Italia, in a net working time of seven-and-a-quarter hours at a rate of 55.55 moves per hour.