On the path to Industry 4.0, most manufacturers still deal with manual handling process steps. As many facilities average 20 years and more, real-time visibility of the process status is still out of reach.

IDENTEC SOLUTIONS‘ Asset Agent is a highly scalable, simple solution to boost productivity in non-conveyor belt mass production processes while keeping the flexibility of production islands without the frustrations of manual processes. The solution is designed to integrate into every IT landscape via standard APIs and becomes an integral part of manufacturing operations.

The newest release, 1.7 of Asset Agent, provides two exciting and helpful features besides minor updates.

Typically, the material needed for the production process is stored in containers. Workers will transport containers to dedicated places within the factory premises, where they will wait for further handling. A common mishap is parking a container in the wrong hall, where it will stay "forever" and be difficult to find. Asset Agent monitors the location of every single container in the factory and will alarm the worker immediately when she misplaces the container. The worker will check the proper position and move the container to the dedicated spot, avoiding lost material or interrupted production processes.

In the following scenario, workers collect material from a storage room or place and feed the selected machine to initiate a production process. In many industries, the material used can deteriorate within a specific time, making the new product unusable or of lower quality. Waste or scrap reduces productivity and increases the cost of resources. As it is essential for the worker to pick the correct material container, Asset Agent provides much-needed help with its "pick-by-light" functionality. Material managers can set the expiry date of material in the app, and Asset Agent will indicate by light which container should be used next to avoid spoiled material.

Asset Agent identifies the correct material throughout the production process and eliminates the idle time and waste caused by incorrect deliveries. Possible delays are reduced to zero by gaining real-time visibility (RTLS) of every single material in a production process with unmatched scalability. The wireless solution constantly connects the physical location of all products to a central server. It provides valuable assistance to the workforce to do their job right without needing training. With Asset Agent, there’s no need for high CAPEX investments like automated guided vehicles (AGVs), automated guided carts (AGCs), or fully automated factories; it is created to standardise your processes while staying flexible.

The main benefits of locating technologies include fully automated processes, digital tracking of orders, goods, tools and vehicles, complete process analysis and optimisation, and reduced costs.

In times of disrupted global supply chains and high costs of raw materials, process optimisation and automation of factories are effective strategies to counter the current challenges:

"With our latest release, 1.7 of Asset Agent, we improved the productivity of manufacturing plants again. Reducing material waste and optimising the entire process chain saves money and resources. In my view, it’s another step toward sustainable processes in manufacturing with a low investment. Moreover, it demonstrates that resourceful is the new black", says Christian Aadal, Product Manager of Asset Agent at IDENTEC SOLUTIONS. 

Yilport Holding became a global port terminal operator in 2005 and has continued to grow in Europe and Latin America ever since. Today, it operates 22 terminals in 10 countries.

Puerto Bolívar became part of Yilport in 2016. The 50-year concession included a commitment to invest US$ 750m in the port to create a container terminal with an annual capacity of 2.5m TEU. Today, Puerto Bolívar is one of the world’s most significant shipment points for fruits and seafood. To keep the fresh products safe in the terminal, the cold chain must stay intact 24/7 and be guaranteed by constant monitoring, which is a labour-intensive process.

To keep up with their expansion plans for the port, Yilport was looking for a constant increase in productivity. As highly skilled staff is challenging to get, one solution is to automate tasks. IDENTEC SOLUTIONS Reefer Runner digitalizes monitoring of reefer containers and makes manual inspections obsolete. The savings in endless shifts of checks prove invaluable as staff can focus on their most important tasks and dramatically reduce claims for damaged goods. The installation of Reefer Runner at Puerto Bolívar enables the terminal operator to grow without increasing the costs for reefer container inspection teams.

Hugo García, Operations Director at Yilport Puerto Bolivar "Our expansion of terminal operations enables us to focus on the entire supply chain. Therefore, it is crucial to stay competitive by decreasing costs and increasing the quality of terminal management. Reefer Runner does precisely this for us. "

Reefer Runner is specially designed for reefer management operations at terminals – in all climate zones and conditions. It works reliably without the need for a cable connection and provides consistent data to a central system. Users can monitor temperature and power supply, adjust setpoints according to the goods in the reefer container, perform automated pre-trip inspections and download data logs for documentation reasons. In addition, as each reefer tag is connected to the system independently, the entire system is expandable and not affected by the failure at one container.

To accompany Yilport’s core mission to be within the top 10 global port operators by 2025 and to generate long-term sustainable growth and profitability, Yilport ordered 1300 Reefer Runner transponders. Having Reefer Runner operational, YILPORT can now propose a world-class service level and substantial hinterland where the liners can easily access reefer data and support their ongoing customers. These services include:

• Cost reduction as less headcount is needed.
• 100% view of the container from the entrance to departure.
• Actual data for energy consumption for each unit and for time connection. 
• Improve the quality of service to customers at reefer yard
• Historical data registered for possible Claims and Data Log download available.

While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the implementation of the system, the project team around Julian Galvis, VP Sales Marine & Ports, kept their cool and executed according to plan:

"With our flexible system and a global team that will go the extra mile while being extremely accommodating to our customers‘ timeline and needs." Despite this extraordinary challenge, the go-live was completed on December 27th, 2021.”

About Yilport Holding

YILPORT Holding is one of the fastest-growing global port operators100% owned by YILDIRIM Holding. As of January 2021, YILPORT serve liners and customers at 22 port terminals and six dry terminals across ten countries, including Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Ecuador, Peru and Guatemala. In addition to port operations, YILPORT is also a multi-purpose port operator with 14.75m TEUs of container, 30.3 M tons of general cargo, 5.73 M m³ of liquid cargo, 1.3 M CEUs of Ro-Ro handling capacity per year

Fifty container terminals trust Reefer Runner because it works. Years ago, IDENTEC SOLUTIONS revolutionised how reefer monitoring was managed and developed a solution independent of reefer types, delivering data remotely, enabling energy monitoring without an additional power meter, and realising the first decarbonisation project (together with Siemens). But, most importantly, Reefer Runner is a solution that manages the entire process of reefer handling in ports, not just delivering data.

The world’s most developed reefer monitoring and management solution covers the entire handling process of refrigerated containers within a container terminal. Reefer Runner connects with the TOS through a built-in interface and supplies remotely refrigerated container data such as temperature, humidity and power consumption. It checks possible error conditions to raise alarms if something goes not according to plan. As a result, it improves speed and quality of processes and increases visibility in the field; it protects against claims documenting a complete digital record and preventing human errors. Most importantly, remote monitoring gives terminal reefer technicians more time to focus on important technical aspects of their work.

Today, Reefer Runner constantly monitors more than 44.000 reefer plugs.

IDENTEC SOLUTIONS‘ list of customers gets longer and longer. It includes the who is who of the industry – terminal operators like APMT, PSA, DP World, Eurogate, TIL, Yilport, Bolloré and many others. Reefer Runner operates in all climate zones in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia-Pacific. Together with its customers, IDENTEC SOLUTIONS makes sure that every reefer is safe on the terminal and will be handled most efficiently by using the latest technology.

"We all – IDENTEC SOLUTIONS and the maritime and logistics industry – shall aim for a world of zero waste and zero emissions. This has been our mission since day 1. With Reefer Runner and Terminal Tracker, we provide solutions to make this big challenge a little more achievable", says Stephan Piworus, Global VP Sales Marine & Ports.

Nicht nur für IDENTEC SOLUTIONS ist das ein großer Schritt; für die globale Lieferkette bedeutet es, dass sie insgesamt produktiver wird, da weniger Ressourcen verschwendet werden.

Gemäß dem Firmenslogan "Because it works" vertrauen 50 Container Terminals weltweit Reefer Runner. Mit Reefer Runner hat IDENTEC SOLUTIONS vor Jahren das Reefer Monitoring & Management revolutioniert. Die Lösung erlaubt die Steuerung von Kühlcontainern unabhängig vom Herstellermodell, liefert Daten kabellos und ermöglicht das Ablesen des Stromverbrauchs ohne zusätzliche Verbrauchslesegeräte. Zusammen mit Siemens wird das Energiemonitoring im Rahmen eines ersten Projektes bereits umgesetzt. Das Entscheidende ist alledings, dass Reefer Runner nicht nur Kühlcontainer überwacht, sondern die gesamte Prozesskette des Kühlcontainer-Managements in Häfen übernimmt.

Dabei verbindet Reefer Runner Kühlcontainer-Daten mit dem Terminal Operating System (TOS) des Hafens über ein eingebautes Interface und versorgt somit vollautomatisch die Schaltstelle der Hafenverwaltung mit Angaben zur Temperatur, Luftfeuchtigkeit und Energieverbrauch eines jeden einzelnen Kühlcontainers (Reefer). Es überprüft selbständig abweichende Werte und alarmiert das Personal falls notwendig. Folglich verbessert es die Qualität und Effizienz des Prozesses und erhöht die Transparenz der Kühlbedingungen. Die Möglichkeit der Fern-Überwachung ermöglicht es den Kühl-Technikern mehr Zeit für wichtige technische Aspekte ihrer Arbeit zu widmen.

Heute überwacht Reefer Runner mehr als 44.000 Kühlcontainer-Stellplätze weltweit.

Die Liste der Kunden von IDENTEC SOLUTIONS wird länger und länger. Sie beinhaltet die bekanntesten Namen der Branche: dazu zählen Terminal-Betreiber wie APMT, PSA, DP World, Eurogate, TIL, Yilport, Bolloré und viele mehr. Reefer Runner arbeitet in allen Klimazonen und ist auf allen Kontinenten zuhause. Gemeinsamen mit unseren Kunden stellt IDENTEC SOLUTIONS sicher, dass die Kühlkette im Hafen nicht unterbrochen wird und Waren nicht verderben.

"Wir alle – IDENTEC SOLUTIONS und die weltweite Schifffahrt und Logistik – sollten für eine Welt ohne Verschwendung und null Emissionen arbeiten. Das ist unsere Mission seit Tag 1 unseres Bestehens. Mit Reefer Runner und Terminal Tracker versuchen wir unseren Beitrag zur Bewältigung dieser großen Herausforderung zu leisten", sagt Stephan Piworus, Global VP Sales Marine & Ports.

NamOps (Namibia Operations) Logistics bietet einen umfassenden Service für die Lagerung, Abholung und Lierfung von Containern. Das Unternehmen konzentriert sich auf die Optimierung vollautomatischer Systeme, welches Kunden ermöglicht, Containerbewegungen in Echtzeit zu verfolgen. Das Team ist jederzeit in der Lage, Kunden Auskunft über Ort, Abholzeitpunkt und Anzahl der Container zu geben.

NamOps ist spezialisiert auf Kühlcontainer und verfügt über 300 Stromanschlüsse. Neben Kühlcontainern wickelt NamOps zwischen 120 und 150 Trockencontainer pro Monat ab. Ihre Kunden befinden sich in ganz Afrika, darunter Namibia, Südafrika, Botswana, Angola und Sambia. Gehandelt wird mit verderblichen Waren wie Fisch, Saatgut oder Fleisch.

Im Rahmen des Projektes wurden Reefer Runner Reader im Lagerbereich der Reefer installiert, um sicherzustellen, dass alle Kühlcontainer überwacht und verfolgt werden können. Die Plug & Play-Schnittstelle von Reefer Runner zu NamOps aktuellem TOS sorgte für eine nahtlose Integration und eine reibungslose Installation. Die Lösung geht weit über eine einfache Temperaturüberwachung hinaus und bietet ein echtes Kühlcontainer-Management. Während sich die Container in der Obhut von NamOps befinden, wickelt Reefer Runner den gesamten Prozess ab und ermöglicht in Echtzeit den Zugriff auf Daten und Berichte. Dank des "Energy Monitoring"-Moduls wird der Energieverbrauch optimiert und die Effizienz des Kühlvorganges gesteigert.

"Reefer Runner war die von uns bevorzugte Lösung für unsere Kühlcontainer-Bedürfnisse. Es bietet Sichtbarkeit der Daten in Echtzeit, ohne dass ein einziger Kühlcontainer manuell überprüft werden muss. Dies ist aus Sicherheitsgründen wichtig, da wir keine fest verbauten Gerüste verwenden, um Kühlcontainer zu erklimmen. Mit Reefer Runner können wir nun drei Kühltransporter übereinander stapeln, ohne eine Leiter zur Überwachung benutzen zu müssen. Es ermöglicht uns sogar das Monitoring des Stromverbrauchs ohne zusätzliche Hardware", so Sergio Figueiredo, Projektleiter NamOps Logistics.

Kühlcontainer spielen für die namibische Firschereiwirtschaft eine wichtige Rolle. 90% des Fangs werden exportiert, teils in Dosen, teils gekühlt. Der Hafen von Walvis Bay ist ein wichtiges Bindeglied für den Export von Fisch & Fischprodukten zwischen Namibia und dem Weltmarkt.

Der an der Südwestküste Afrikas gelegene Hafen von Walvis Bay bietet eine günstige und schnelle Transitstrecke, die das südliche Afrika, Europa, Asien und Amerika verbindet. Der Hafen von Walvis Bay ist ein staufreier Hafen mit minimalen Verzögerungen, in dem derzeit 7 Millionen Tonnen Fracht pro Jahr verladen werden. Seine Gesamtkapazität reicht aus, um 8 bis 10 Millionen Tonnen Fracht abzuwickeln. Der neue Containerterminal wurde am 2. August 2019 offiziell eingeweiht und am 24. August 2019 in Betrieb genommen. Damit erhöhte sich die Umschlagskapazität auf 750.000 TEU (twenty-foot-equivalent Unit) pro Jahr.

Auf die Region des südlichen Afrikas entfallen 41 Prozent des afrikanischen Containerumschlags und ist damit ein entscheidender Faktor für das Wachstum des afrikanischen Kontinents.

In den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten hat sich der Hafen von einem unbedeutenden nationalen Hafen zu einem der wichtigsten in der SADC-Region entwickelt, sowohl was die Größe als auch die Bedeutung betrifft. Mit den jüngsten beträchtlichen Infrastrukturinvestitionen in den Ausbau der Anlagen im Hafen von Walvis Bay wird er seine Bedeutung noch weiter steigern.

NamOps (Namibia Operations) Logistics is providing full service with container yard storage with pick up and transport operations and focus on optimising fully automated systems that enable their customers to track container movements in real-time. Using the latest technology enables them to provide full visibility and reliability to meet the highest quality standards in a challenging environment.

NamOps specializes in refrigerated containers with over 300 plugin points covering a range of products such as chicken, fish, meats, and seeds. In addition to refrigerated containers, NamOps handles between 120-150 dry containers per month. Their clients are located across Africa including, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia.

Reefer Runner readers were installed to cover the reefer area ensuring that all refrigerated containers can be monitored and managed. Reefer Runner’s plug & play interface to NamOps current TOS, secured a seamless integration and smooth installation. The solution goes way beyond basic temperature monitoring and provides true cool container management, handling the entire process while the containers are in NamOps’s care, allowing to access real-time data and reports via web-interface and, thanks to the optional modules “Energy Monitoring” optimizing energy consumption and increasing efficiency.

“Reefer Runner was our preferred solution for our reefer cargo needs. It adds real-time visibility without the need to check reefers manually. From a safety point of view, this is important as we don’t use racks. With this wireless solution, we can stack up to three reefers high without using a ladder to monitor them. It even allows us to monitor power consumption without any extra hardware.” said Sergio Figueiredo, Project Manager NamOps Logistics.

Refrigerated containers play an important role in Namibia’s fishing industry. 90% of the catch is being exported, partly canned, partly refrigerated. The port of Walvis Bay constitutes a vital link in the export of fish and fish products from Namibia to a global market.

The Port of Walvis Bay, situated on Africa’s southwestern coast, serves as a convenient and fast transit route, connecting southern Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. A congestion-free port with minimum delays, the Port of Walvis Bay currently handles 7 million tonnes per annum and its total capacity equips it to handle 8 to 10 million tonnes of cargo. The new container terminal at the Port of Walvis Bay was officially inaugurated on 2 August 2019 and operationalised by 24 August 2019. This increased the throughput capacity to 750,000 TEUs (twenty-foot-equivalent unit) per year.

The southern African region constitutes 41% of Africa’s container throughput and is thus a critical player in the growth of the African continent. During the past two decades, the port has grown substantially, in both size and significance, from a minor national port to a key role player in the SADC region. With its recent substantial infrastructural investment in expanding the facilities at the Port of Walvis Bay, it is set to increase its relevance even more.

Not as recently, the cargo handling industry was and is under pressure to perform in a very efficient way. The global supply chain relies on a network of terminals. These terminals depend not only on the infrastructure and the workforce of their premises but more than ever on business intelligence, analytics and data related to operations. Automation is possible, but terminals are created as closed-systems that have been custom-designed with high costs. Advances in IT and digitization have opened new potential for higher productivity when processes are connecting all equipment and systems in real-time and enable seamless data exchange.  

The key factor for the cargo handling industry is to take advantage of these technological advances. Therefore, the mission of TIC 4.0 is to promote, define and adopt standards that enable the industry to dive into the 4^th industrial revolution. This includes ports, shipping lines, freight forwarders, software providers, hardware developers and process designers. The TIC 4.0 has been endorsed by the Federation of European Private Port Companies and Terminals (FEPORT) and of the Port Equipment Manufacturers Association (PEMA). Members of the TIC 4.0 include well-known players like APM Terminals, Eurogate, Bolloré, HHLA, Navis, PSA, TIL, Yilport, among many others.

"We are very proud now to be part of such a visionary initiative like TIC4.0. Neither terminal operators nor equipment manufacturers nor software suppliers possess all data, digital skills and capabilities to win over today‘s demanding and dynamic digital transformation in the container terminal industry. Therefore we are confident that this collaborative approach of TIC4.0 is a great idea and very much worth participating in”, says Stephan Piworus, VP of Global Sales for Marine & Ports.

The membership in TIC 4.0 allows IDENTEC SOLUTIONS to participate in the definition of future technical standards and shape the way container operations will take place in the future. This is a big opportunity for IDENTEC SOLUTIONS to co-solve industry-wide challenges on its own quest to reduce wastefulness of energy and effort and increase productivity and safety in terminals.

"My vision is to have a ‚plug & play‘ environment within the container terminal industry that will break down barriers, boost innovation, reduce risks and costs and finally eliminate loose ends”, summarizes Stephan Piworus in his view of the industry’ future.

„Ganz getreu dem Motto „geht nicht – gibt’s nicht“ sind wir als führender Anbieter im Bereich Umwelttechnik immer bemüht unsere bestehenden Produkte zu verbessern, anzupassen und weiterzuentwickeln. Damit dies gelingen kann, sind aber nicht nur unsere hausinternen Ressourcen wichtig, sondern auch die sorgfältige Auswahl der Zulieferer“, erklärt David Acklin, Leiter Engineering bei Borema Umwelttechnik AG.

Es ist kein Geheimnis: im Rahmen einer wertorientierten Unternehmensführung spielen Kunden-Lieferanten-Beziehungen eine entscheidende Rolle und haben mit dem Aspekt der Nachhaltigkeit eine zeitgemäße globale Dimension erhalten. Es ist daher umso erfreulicher, dass IDENTEC SOLUTIONS und Borema auf eine fast 10-jährige Partnerschaft zurückblicken können.

Den Schlüssel für den gemeinsamen Erfolg sieht Mathias Pötter, VP Sales Smart Factory bei IDENTEC SOLUTIONS vor allem in der gemeinsamen Wertebasis:

„Wir sind uns im Kern einfach sehr ähnlich. Wie wir auch, ist die Borema Umwelttechnik AG ein kleines, innovatives Unternehmen mit kurzen Entscheidungswegen, einem sehr hohen Qualitätsanspruch, den Blick immer auf die Zufriedenheit der Kunden gerichtet.“

Einen weiteren positiven Aspekt sieht Pötter auch in der Produktentwicklung bzw. gemeinsamen Verbesserung: „Für unsere Kunden versuchen wir immer die beste Lösung zu finden. Manchmal bedeutet dies auch, dass wir unsere Produkte spezifisch auf unsere Kunden zuschneiden – diesen Vorteil genießt natürlich auch Borema.“

Zum Einsatz kommen die Produkte von IDENTEC SOLUTIONS hauptsächlich in den berührungslosen Personenschutzsystemen von Borema. Das Borema-Produkt Life Guard PSS i-BOR 17 wird überall dort verwendet, wo Material über Förderbänder an nachgeschaltete Ballenpress- oder Zerkleinerungsanlagen transportiert wird. Kern dieses Produkts sind Transponder, mit denen die Mitarbeitenden an den Anlagen ausgestattet sind. Dadurch können Personen, die sich auf dem Förderband befinden (z.B. durch Sturz) sicher detektiert werden und die gesamte Anlage wird umgehend gestoppt. Dank der Vielzahl an Varianten von IDENTEC SOLUTIONS können diese lebenswichtigen Transponder sowohl als Armband als auch um den Hals getragen oder es können Sicherheitsschuhe mit integriertem Transponder eingesetzt werden. Denn: nur die Akzeptanz des Sicherheitssystems durch die Mitarbeitenden sichert auch deren Gesundheit.

TPS, who is committed to maintain their prominent position as the Gateway to Eastern Indonesia, have used IDENTEC SOLUTIONS’ Terminal Tracker solution since 2015. Ever since, TPS has worked hard that their terminals continue to provide the level of services required to bolster up the economic growth of Indonesia and to give the best possible services to their customers. Terminal Tracker helps TPS to fulfil their proclaimed vision by enabling them to work better.

The main objective of the solution is to perform Position Detection (PDS) and reporting moves performed by the Container Handling Equipment (CHE) directly to the terminal operating system (TOS). The fully automated solution removes the need for human interaction with the on-board display by automatically completing moves and ensuring an up to date and accurate yard inventory. This not only allows TPS to work more efficiently but also minimizes the risk associated with people working in the yard while delivering full visibility of the Terminals inventory.

Thanks to IDENTEC SOLUTIONS’ global network, on-site support is guaranteed by their local partner PT Primus Indonesia (PT Primus). PT Primus is a system integrator, distributor and VAR in the information technology business which has the main business in computer, networking, data communication, software development and peripherals supplies.

“We really value the longstanding, strong relationship with IDENTEC SOLUTIONS and PT Primus. We needed a reliable and flexible partner, who knows how to implement new software and hardware into existing structures, making everything work seamlessly together. Terminal Tracker makes our lives a lot easier by helping us to deliver best in class services to our customers”, said Amin Jamal, IT Manager of PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya.