Non-Intrusive Scanning of Containers

cs3The Port of Montevideo was exploring the use of Container Scanning Technology to unobtrusively determine the contents of shipping containers. Human and drug trafficking was a concern they wanted to mitigate without slowing the movement of trucks and containers which would cause a negative impact to the City of Montevideo. They had studied both x-ray and gamma- ray systems, and were considering whether to operate the system with internal employees or to privatize the operation. The Director of the Port of Montevideo had heard of the overly successful implementation of the Port of Miami Stolen Automobile Recovery System (STARS) to detect stolen automobiles stored in containers that are not manifested, and requested the assistance of the system designer, Louis Noriega.

APS conducted an analysis of their security and operational needs and provided a design to the Operations Director which identified the recommended scanning technology, the implementation mode and the business model that would provide the highest return on investment. The analysis identified the difference the technologies (x-ray vs. gamma-ray), costs, and the location to install the scanners. The location of the scanners was extremely critical, as the Port did not desire to add another truck stop for the scanning process which would negatively impact the egress processing times. The safety of the truck driver was also critical, as the design provided by APS could not allow the driver to be exposed to the x-rays or gamma rays as the container was being scanned. APS also was asked to determine whether the scanning function could be operated by the Port’s employees, eliminating the need to privatize the function which would result in higher costs.
 
Project Contact:
Alberto Díaz
Gerente de Operaciones
Puerto de Montevideo
Recinto Portuario
y Juan Carlos Gomez
11000
Montevideo, Uruguay
(598 2) 1901 685