May 2 2017
Nexiot AG (a company specializing in complex systems, and ultra low-power imbedded technology) recently announced that it is customizing its zero-maintenance smart sensor system for Bertschi Group’s tank containers, to monitor the temperature of dangerous goods and help ensure safe delivery of consignments.
Credit: http://www.hazmatmag.com/
Bertschi is a global logistics service provider for the chemical industry, specializing in both liquids and dry bulk products, and transports hazardous cargo, some of which need to travel within a specific temperature band.
The smart sensor system supplied by Nexiot AG, is used during transportation of cargo to monitor the temperature dangerous goods, such as products in tanks, as well as the steam pipes which are used to heat the cargo, in real time.
Nexiot’s smart sensors harvest energy from the environment, which makes them self-sustaining, and enables them to update the control system with messages down to every five minutes.
“Any means by which we can further raise the bar regarding safety gets priority at Bertschi, and having continuous and detailed information about the containers allows us to be certain that everything is well within safe operating conditions,” said Markus Berner, Head of Digital Logistics, Bertschi Group.
“Automated alerts on deviations provide us with one more layer of safety on top of all the existing procedures and mechanisms.
“The very same measurements are also invaluable for guaranteeing that the cargo, which often includes delicate chemical compounds, reaches its destination within the optimal temperature band and in perfect condition.
“We have very tough requirements for the capabilities, ruggedness, cost, and maintainability of devices in the field. In my opinion, particularly regarding energy autonomy and frequency of updates, the technology of Nexiot speaks for itself.”
Nexiot’s sensor system is also being installed across the entire fleet of rail wagons for wagon hire giant VTG.
The self-sustaining technology overcomes the battery problems which were a major barrier to monitoring dangerous goods in transit and makes critical data available in real time.
Nexiot is testing a new system of self-sufficient sensors, mounted onto the tank containers, communicating temperature data wirelessly to its Machine to Machine (M2M) communication devices, also installed on the tank containers.
Many shipping companies are seeing increased demand from customers for real-time updates and estimates, who use the data to optimize their own logistics chain.