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TANKS & LOGISTICS
SEE IT THROUGH DIGITISATION • THE BENEFITS OF IT SYSTEMS ARE BEING INCREASINGLY RECOGNISED, PARTICULARLY FOR UNACCOMPANIED AND HIGHLY HAZARDOUS LOADS THE DAYS OF simple ‘track and trace’ systems are now far behind us as industry continues along the path to digitisation. Certainly in those sectors of the supply chain where loads are not always accompanied by personnel – notably in intermodal and rail transport – it has become increasingly expected that transport assets will be fitted with sensors and communications devices that can not only tell the operator (and its customer) where the load is but also the temperature and pressure of that cargo. Demand for such levels of visibility came initially from receivers, keen to know where their cargo is at any given time, and it rapidly dawned on logistics providers that they could operate more efficiently if they had the same sort of visibility. One recent application shows that the drive for digitisation has reached the top of the food chain: Arkema is to digitise its entire tank container and rail wagon fleet using Nexxiot’s IoT devices and intelligent cloud platform. The project aims to deliver end-to-end visibility for Arkema’s customers and, the company says, to improve quality standards and transform the overall service experience. “We understand our customers require the highest levels of confidence around the transportation of their cargo,” says Jean-Marc Viallatte, vice-president of Arkema’s Supply Chain Group. “They expect visibility from the moment they place an order to the second that the cargo is delivered. We believe that by
DIGITAL MONITORING IS ESPECIALLY USEFUL WITH EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS LOADS
HCB MONTHLY | SEPTEMBER 2021
monitoring location and other critical cargo parameters like shock events, temperature, pressure and levels, we can take our customer experience to the next level. Work is underway to deliver predictive services based on data, to increase trust, safety and security as part of our overall digital transformation strategy.” Stefan Kalmund, CEO of Nexxiot, adds: “Better transportation simply translates to better services for the end customer – the cargo recipient or owner. The data is processed using Nexxiot’s powerful machine learning software to continuously improve supply chain performance. This means reducing the time the fleet stays idle and monitoring the practices of transport partners like carriers. Ultimately, these data-derived opportunities translate to higher quality processes, better prices and an unparalleled end-customer experience. This is why our clients choose our product.”
THE TRICKY STUFF Better visibility is also a distinct boon when transport involves particularly hazardous or sensitive chemicals. Den Hartogh, which has already invested heavily in IT systems, is now equipping its dedicated TDI tank container fleet with GPS Temperature Telematics supplied by Intermodal Telematics (IMT), which will provide live location and temperature monitoring. The IMT solution uses the new Thermowell probe, which Den Hartogh says is “the ultimate, most robust and most accurate method to measure product temperature” and employs a sensor installed inside a tube, welded to a flange inside the tank. Readings are transmitted wirelessly to a display on the side of the tank, as well as to IMT’s solarpowered communication device, CLT20-Ex. “With the IMT prime GPS unit CLT20-Ex, we receive the temperature through to the portal every five minutes,” explains Peter Boodt, technical supervisor at Den Hartogh. “Via the alerting modules, we can respond immediately to disruptions, assert greater control and minimise risks, waste and product recalls. The accuracy of the Thermowell and the almost real time sending interval of the CLT20-Ex gives us the confidence our customers need when trusting us to carry their temperature sensitive products.” www.arkema.com www.denhartogh.com www.intermodaltelematics.com nexxiot.com
