Container OCR technology will automate identification and tracking of rail cars and their containers

San Diego, CA – APS Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of optical character recognition (OCR) and automation technology solutions for marine and intermodal terminals, announced CSX Intermodal will implement the APS Rail OCR Portal and Rail Tracking Systems at a new intermodal terminal being built within its network in North Baltimore, OH. The comprehensive rail yard automation system uses OCR technology to automatically identify container-laden rail cars as they enter and exit the facility, and will track the railcars within the facility. The real-time visibility will provide CSX Intermodal with increased throughput and increased cargo velocity.

CSX Intermodal will implement four APS Technology Rail OCR and Inspection Portals, and the APS Rail Tracking System to identify railcars and containers and to maintain equipment inventory on key yard tracks. The systems will be closely integrated with the Tideworks terminal operating system, Kuenz wide-span gantry cranes and Railcomm automated switch control systems to provide an automatic, seamless flow of equipment and visibility data throughout the operations. The company will gain real-time command and control by enabling confirmation of planned events and visibility to exceptions or unplanned events as they happen.

“The APS solution will help us maximize efficiencies in the yard equipment and systems. We will be able to better utilize the capabilities of the cranes and terminal operating system, improving productivity and throughput overall,” said Paul Hand, General Manager, CSX Intermodal, North Region.

“The intermodal rail industry is experiencing a resurgence as shipping companies are looking for alternatives to truck and air options to lower costs to their customers,” said Allen Thomas, APS Technology COO. “To handle this recent growth, companies such as CSX Intermodal are recognizing the productivity and cost management benefits that automation and OCR technology can provide them.”

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 35 marine and intermodal container terminals in ten countries around the world, including APM Terminals, CSX Railroad, DP World and HHLA.  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.

Contact: Allen Thomas, +1 704.442.5554 ext. 101
Email: allen@aps-technology.com

APS goes train spotting.

Read the full article here.

April, 2009 - The solution includes two of APS’ products, a Rail OCR Portal and the patent-pending Rail Tracking System (RTS) with integration into Navis SPARCS. These systems now provide the terminal automatic identification and inventory tracking of railcar-laden shipping containers as they are parked on one of the four on-dock rail tracks.

May 2008 - APS was awarded a contract to provide its Gate, Crane and Rail OCR automation solutions to Washington United Terminals, an operator for Hyundai in Tacoma, Washington.