On 9 February 2007, YICT celebrated with Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine and Yantian Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine in becoming the first container terminal in Mainland China to fully automate their container sterilisation process, with the coming on-stream of five vertical swinging robotic arms.  

YICT worked in close collaboration with Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine and Yantian Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine to develop and install the vertical swinging robotic arms at its exit gates to fully automate import container sterilisation procedures conducted at its facility.

This swift and effective system substantially improves the efficiency of container sterilisation, taking now only 20 seconds to complete. At the push of a button the vertical swinging robotic arm is activated to spray proportionate amounts of disinfectant onto a container’s surface according to process requirements. The effective working range of the robotic arm is over four metres to ensure all target areas are comprehensively sterilised.

Moreover, this apparatus is able to determine whether or not the selected container truck is within the required working range and the status of the truck’s cabin doors, as they ought to be closed throughout the entire sterilisation process. Should the robotic arm’s sensors detect movement within its operating range, it would immediately shut down and its alarm bell would be sound. This user-friendly equipment therefore helps guard against accidental exposure to the chemical compounds present in the disinfectant. 

YICT has worked closely with the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine and Yantian Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine since September 2004, in conducting the sterilisation of imported containers. Initially this was due to a spate of West Nile virus outbreaks and then later as recourse to the Bird Flu epidemic. YICT at that time in an effort to improve sterilisation efficiency and to enhance import container clearance, introduced manual innovatory sterilisation procedures at its gatehouses. This initiative was subsequently adopted by other terminals in Shenzhen.

In addition to the deployment of the robotic arms, YICT has most recently launched an import‑laden container pre-declaration system, a joint network for the declaration and pre-declaration of imported fruits. Looking to the future, YICT intends to invest over RMB2 million to further upgrade its sterilisation procedures, as part of an ongoing effort to create even greater added-value for its customers and terminal users.