VTG adds temperature sensors

BLOWING HOT AND COLD

DIGITISATION • VTG IS EXTENDING ITS AUTOMATED SERVICES WITH NEW TEMPERATURE SENSORS TO MONITOR THE CONDITION OF GOODS IN TRANSIT

VTG AND NEXXIOT have extended their collaboration in digitising the railfreight sector, with VTG using temperature sensors developed by Nexxiot to monitor the condition of high value, temperature-sensitive goods in transit. As from this month, VTG has begun to fit the sensors to some 3,000 freight cars to be able to record the temperature of the tank, the heating system and the outlet. The generated data will be consolidated and processed in the Nexxiot Connect Cloud. Detailed evaluations and further analyses are available to customers on the VTG platform traigo. In the event of temperature changes, all authorised transport participants receive a notification via the system.

“Some products are no longer usable even after small temperature variations. That is why we want to guarantee our customers

THE LATEST AGREEMENT WITH NEXXIOT IS A FURTHER

ADDITION TO VTG’S TRAIGO PLATFORM complete documentation when transporting high-value chemicals or other temperaturesensitive goods,” says Hanno Schell, head of innovation at VTG. “With launching the Nexxiot solution, we go one step further. The notification of anomalies enables real-time action to be taken to prevent temperature fluctuations.”

Stefan Kalmund, Nexxiot CEO, says he sees great opportunities to improve quality management and transparency along international supply chains. “In many industries, such as the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries, there are high requirements for temperature monitoring of sensitive goods. We will support VTG in the future to further improve the quality of transport in these sectors. The use of real-time information and its integration into the day-to-day work of customers play an important role in this. The logistics industry needs innovative pioneers like VTG to meet the challenges of the future.”

Peter Töpfer, senior project manager at VTG, adds: “The digitalisation of our entire fleet is a high priority for us. Only the generation, processing and intelligent use of data enables us to offer our customers the transparency they need to make sound decisions. Nexxiot supports us in this as a strategic partner.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE VTG’s traigo platform was officially launched this past August, having been trialled with selected customers since the start of 2020. At the time of the launch, VTG’s CEO, Dr Heiko Fischer, said: “Rail freight has suffered a chronic lack of the digital innovations that have long been standard issue for other modes of transport. But thanks to traigo, our industry can now provide services much more transparently and efficiently. That will make it more attractive to existing customers, as well as capturing the enthusiasm of new companies in the forwarding industry. There really is no other way to reach the political goal of raising rail’s share of the modal split to at least 25 per cent.”

Traigo began with a range of tools, including mileage predictions, a function to flag wagons that have been standing idle for long periods, and the display of maintenance status of certain components. It was always envisaged that the platform would be extended in response to feedback from customers, as is now happening with the latest Nexxiot temperature sensors.

Dr Niko Davids, chief digital officer at VTG, said the testing phase provided crucial pointers and added: “What we need to do now is ramp up the digital service portfolio and model other wagon owners’ fleets on the platform, too. For this reason, we are inviting every partner in the industry – forwarding agents, operators, railway companies, other wagon owners, whoever – to also link their systems to traigo and, by developing digital applications, to play a part in making rail freight more attractive. One thing is for sure: We must work together if we want to genuinely transform a system as complex as rail freight.” www.vtg.com