Optimal planning of schedules, yard operations and terminals are objectives pursued by all logistics nodes, leading to reduced inefficiencies (reductions in downtimes, bottlenecks, costs, environmental impacts, etc.).
In this sense, within the present cloud, the following two projects are worth highlighting: LOGIMATIC and RCM. LOGIMATIC developed an advanced real-time vehicle location system in port container terminals. This technology allows to increase the speed of tasks and operations and to improve their safety, while at the same time boosts the automation of port vehicles. On the other hand, RCM focused on trying to make a more efficient use of infrastructures and to anticipate future challenges linked to the next generation of vessels. To this end, it developed a Robotic Container Management System at terminals reducing the need to create more container storage space (capacity improvements), useful for both ports and inland terminals.
The ARCC project addressed the objectives abovementioned in the specific case of rail terminals, helping to achieve improvements in the use of assets and spaces within this logistics node through its Real-time Yard Management System (real-time scheduling, tracking and control to optimise yard operations). OPTIYARD also played an active role, developing tools to digitise and automate yard operations at rail terminals.
For the case of ports and dry port areas, SAIL was able to develop a Decision Support System (DSS) and a Discrete Event Simulation (DES). Both solutions were designed to support the management of port intermodal facilities, used to connect seaports with dry ports, a growing practice due to the lack of available space in the first ones.
Finally, automatic damage documentation and automatic container identification is another way to optimise processes within logistics nodes. CHINOS developed an electronic system that predominantly achieved this, as well as monitoring containers remotely. These tools not only facilitated the automation of the container identification process at the logistics hubs, but also provided additional information on the status of the container, i.e., whether it had been damaged at the logistics hub or not, helping to determine and clarify responsibilities.
Tight integration of EGNSS and on-board sensors for port vehicle automation (LOGIMATIC)
LOGIMATIC develops an innovative location and navigation solution for the automation of the operations of straddle carriers in container terminals. With this project, the European ports will see their efficiency and accuracy improved while reducing its errors, times and costs.
Among all the results obtained in the project, those that affect the logistics nodes, the ports, are:
Rethinking Container Management Systems (RCMS)
RCMS aims to improve the terminals performance in terms of efficiency, reliability, capacity, performance indicators (travel times, average speed, etc.) and impacts (noise and air pollution). For that, the systems to manage containers are rethought and a new one is created.
This project addresses the upcoming challenges of larger ships, so as the actual problems in terminals, such as the efficient use of infrastructure.
The main outcome,
with the same acronym as the project,
is the Robotic Container Management System. It is a robotic parking system able to
manage and handle more containers per square metre than any traditional
handling system used in terminals before, both ports and inland terminals. (CORDIS - European
Commission (n.d.). <https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/636158/es>)
Automated Rail Cargo Consortium: Rail freight automation research activities to boost levels of quality, efficiency and cost effectiveness in all areas of rail freight operations (ARCC)
As its name says, the Automated Rail Cargo Consortium (ARCC), joint with Shift2rail members, aims to boost quality, efficiency and cost effectiveness in rail freight operations of the European railway sector. The research activities are developed in three different areas: Freight via automated trains, automated support processes at the nodes and advanced timetable planning.
The main outcome
of this project is the demonstration scenarios
developed for a Real-time Yard Management
System which obtained considerable improved results in terms of European
interoperability, efficiency, punctuality, energy, costs and capacity. (CORDIS - European
Commission (n.d.). <https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/730813>)
Optimised Real-time Yard and Network Management (OPTIYARD)
OptiYard is a project aiming to design optimised processes for managing marshalling yards and terminals, considering their interaction with the network.
This project supports the Commission’s 2011 White Paper ambition of expanding rail’s modal share by 2050.
This objective is also mentioned in the programms Horizon 2020 and Shift2Rail (S2R). The main outcomes of the project are:
ICT System addressed to integrated logistics management and decision support for intermodal port and dry port facilities (SAIL)
SAIL aims to support the flow of logistics chain and the business operations in ports and dry port areas. For that end, an ICT tool will be developed.
This project will benefit the intermodal transport while reducing the cost and the environmental impacts of these European ports.
The main outcomes the project generated are a Discrete
Event Simulation (DES), for which UML (Unified Modelling Language) were
developed to study dynamic parts of the system; and a Decision Support System
(DSS) for supporting the management in operational, tactical, strategic
decision levels. (CORDIS - European
Commission (n.d.). <https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/251589>)
Container Handling in Intermodal Nodes - Optimal and Secure (CHINOS)
CHINOS is a project that supports operators in the process of automation by employing innovative IT technology solutions like RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and automatic damage documentation for container handling in order to optimize processes.
In these terms, this project works for an improvement on the traceability and security in the supply chain while improving the efficiency in the nodes, particularly, in ports.
The system consists of four main elements: an automatic container identification unit (ACIU) consisting of container identification system (CIS) and electronic seal system (e-seal), a damage documentation system (DDS), a chain event manager (CEM), and a communication controller (CC).
The performance consists
of an electronic radio-frequency-identification (RFID)
transponder (also referred
to as a tag) attached to the container, able to provide positive
unambiguous identification of a container. An electronic seal (e-seal) uses the
current mechanically robust door seal mechanisms but adds the electronic RFID
technology to enable seal identification and additional tamperproof electronic
security to the device. (CORDIS - European
Commission (n.d.). <https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/31418>)