Associated British Ports’ (ABP) Port of Southampton in the UK has installed digital imaging security technology and a new spray booth facility to ensure the quality of automotive services.
To strengthen its role as the UK’s hub for automotive shipments, ABP Southampton has introduced the advanced vehicle-checking measures in its collaboration with customer BMW Group as part of its quality control process.
The major US$ 1.3 million upgrade included engineering company Degould, which built two drive-in booths for the multi-deck areas.
The facilities will monitor all BMW and MINI vehicles arriving at and departing from the port, with the cars passing through an imaging booth where strategically placed cameras will capture 360-degree images.
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ABP’s investment follows a $20 million project to construct a new multi-deck facility in the Eastern Dock for the storage of an additional 3,000 vehicles.
Alistair Welch, Director at ABP Southampton, said: “This is an important milestone for the port and we were delighted to install the latest technology for to one of our valued customers.
“With many thousands of vehicles passing through the port each year, it is vital to ensure they leave us in the best possible condition.”
Ed Jones, Managing Director at Degould, commented: “It is great to see the new booths installed at the Port of Southampton for BMW.
“We use the latest digital imaging technology and automation to capture super-high resolution, 360-degree condition reports of the vehicles. The process takes just a few seconds and the data is available in real-time to review on any device.”