A remarkable spectacle unfolds at the operational dock of Westlink Company, the Shandong Port Qingdao Port affiliate—where the crimson silhouettes of gantry cranes reflect against the azure sea. As pulp cargo vessels arrive, intelligent lifting tools spring into action: they precisely target, securely grasp the pulp within the hold, and load it onto Automated Guided Vehicles (IGVs) for orderly stacking. Without any human intervention, these driverless vehicles ferry the materials into warehouses, where telescopic forklifts await to unload and execute exact palletizing. The site is conspicuously devoid of frontline workers, as all operations are orchestrated from the Breakbulk Digital Intelligence Center situated hundreds of meters away. Within this "smart brain," a team of operators manages various control stations—whether maneuvering IGVs, telescopic forklifts, or commanding intelligent gantry crane spreaders—achieving full situational awareness without leaving their desks.
The pioneering initiative, titled "Key Technology Research and Application for Full-Process Automation of Pulp Handling at Breakbulk Terminals," spearheaded by Westlink Company, has revolutionized traditional breakbulk operations, transitioning from labor-intensive processes to unattended digital management. This groundbreaking project earned the First Prize at the 2025 Qingdao Science and Technology Progress Awards. While automated systems for container and dry bulk cargo have long been standard in port modernization, breakbulk cargo—characterized by its diverse categories, varied forms, and complex handling conditions—has traditionally relied heavily on manual labor, representing one of the most challenging frontiers in global port automation.
To address the persistent challenge of manual-dependent cargo scheduling, Westlink's R&D team has achieved multiple original technological breakthroughs. The independently developed "Beichen" system, serving as the terminal's dispatch hub, functions as a digital brain that consolidates operational data and issues production directives. The moment a vessel's hatches open, AI-driven electronic ship-planning technology automatically identifies cargo layout within the hold, rapidly calculating optimal retrieval trajectories—executing maximal work with minimal movements.
"In conventional operations, each pulp loading or unloading cycle demanded that two workers perform 32 hook attachment and detachment tasks, involving repeated climbing and manual alignment of pulp bundles—an extraordinarily physically demanding process," explains Wang Baojun, Engineering Technology Department Manager at Westlink. Following automation, operational efficiency and workforce allocation have achieved qualitative improvements: a complete pulp retrieval sequence that previously required at least five minutes now completes in three; the two workers previously assigned to in-hold hook operations have been reduced to a single remote monitoring specialist.
The precision of the "hand" is paramount to automation success. The project team's self-developed intelligent pulp lifting spreader resembles an "industrial claw machine," with hooks capable of adjusting opening angles and widths to accommodate various pulp dimensions without damaging packaging. Sixteen hook groups are equipped with contact and weighing sensors, complemented by ARCK angle-sensing anti-twist technology and PID digital model anti-sway stabilization—enabling the spreader to grip with the accuracy and steadiness of human hands, eliminating manual hook guidance and resolving the challenge of human-machine separation.
Furthermore, IGVs enhanced with laser vision and BeiDou 5G positioning achieve autonomous transport. Drivers who once gripped steering wheels inside vehicle cabs now operate from the digital center, "driving" remotely. These transport vehicles can navigate obstacles autonomously and recharge themselves automatically. As the world's first port project to achieve complete automation and digital integration of breakbulk pulp processes, the fully operational pulp automation project is projected to reduce annual terminal-wide manual workload by 80%, increase comprehensive operational efficiency by 20%, decrease terminal energy consumption by 63%, cut carbon emissions by 18%, and generate approximately 570 million yuan in comprehensive economic benefits.