Automation
UTHE TERMINAL IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO UNLOADERS THAT CAN OPERATE IN PARALLEL AND INDEPENDENTLY WITH EACH CONVEYOR BELT.
pon the arrival of the commodities by vessel at Raos’ Pier 4, they are unloaded and simultaneously delivered or stored.
Commodities are unloaded by means of two ship’s unloaders that take the cargo out of the holds into the terminal. Both systems can work in parallel and independently over each conveyor belt C1A and C1B.
Afterwards, the load will reach the weighing tower by means of the conveyor belts C2A and C2B. The tower has two independent lines of weighing, the first one for the material coming from unloader A (conveyor belt C1A and conveyor belt C2A), and the second one for the material coming from unloader B (conveyor belt C1B and conveyor belt C2B).
From now on, it can opt for any of the various loading or storing processes available that can be summarized in six main lines on which twelve load paths share several transport, unloading and recirculation equipment:
- – Loading line from vessel to vertical silos.
- – Loading line from vessel to flat warehouse’s cells.
- – Loading line from vessel to truck loading bay.
- – Unloading line from vertical silos to truck loading bay.
- – Unloading line from vertical silos to railwagons.
- – Recirculation line.
The function of the lines described above is totally automated and the control system of the terminal manages it.
The control systems’ parameters guarantee the operation of the terminal as well as traceability of the agribulk commodities within.
Besides, the control system maximizes the performance of the terminal regarding the following priority criteria:
- – Highest speed in vessels’ unloading processes.
- – Highest speed in trucks’ loading processes.
- – Highest speed in rail wagons’ loading processes.
- – Highest use of space in the silos.
- – Lowest energy consumption in the terminal.
The integrated management system of the terminal (SGIT), is the software in charge of integrating the administrative work and the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).
It interacts through various means of communication, interfaces and plattforms with each of the elements of the terminal that will act as independent islands and will revert to SGIT.
SGIT interacts sending and receiving information with the following subsystems:
- – SCADA of process control (WinCos): it’s the independent system in charge of control, supervision and direct use of the transport, loading, unloading and storing equipment (unloaders, conveyors belts, silos, etc.). Besides it’s in charge of maintaining and communicating the stored stock.
- – SAP system: it’s the independent administrative system of the managing entity of the terminal. This system will exchange information with the SGIT on a scheduled basis for the various processes of load control and delivery, as well as running information. SAP system eases the update of the SGIT’s master databases (suppliers, clients, products, trucks, drivers, vessels, etc).
Besides, as an extra asset, there are Auxiliary Services Systems that improve the terminal’s supervision processes:
- – Fire Prevention Sytem.
- – Temperature measurement system in silos.
- – CCTV System.