Chemical products are among the most frequently transported economic goods in Germany. Every day, large quantities of chemicals are transported by road, rail or water and shipped around the world to be processed into end products in many industrial sectors. This means that not only chemical companies themselves, but also other trade sectors and companies transport and store large quantities of chemical products.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, a total of 245.1 million tonnes of chemicals were transported in Germany in 2014. 40 per cent of these were classified as hazardous goods.
This is how chemical products are transported in Germany:
- 59 % by truck,
- 7.6 % in pipelines
- 12.1 % by rail,
- 9.5 % by inland waterway and
- 11.8 % by seagoing vessels.
Reducing safety risks during the transport and storage of chemicals
However, the transport and storage of sensitive goods such as chemicals often harbours a high cost and safety risk. The shelf life and usability of chemical products and solutions can often only be guaranteed under certain temperatures and physical conditions. In addition, many chemicals are categorised as dangerous goods and may only be transported and stored with high safety requirements. The monitoring of chemical components over the entire period, from transport to use in the laboratory or further processing, is therefore essential in many cases. For this reason, maintaining the cold chain during transport and storage is of great importance in order to minimise safety risks and ensure product quality.
Only by maintaining the prescribed temperature range during the transport of chemicals can damage and losses in product quality be excluded or minimised. However, companies that manufacture and transport chemicals are still faced with the major challenge of correctly maintaining the cold chain and recognising in good time when temperature-sensitive chemicals are exposed to critical temperatures and when safety risks and product damage are imminent.
Data loggers ensure compliance with the cold chain
Monitoring the entire temperature history during the transport of chemical goods is essential. The integration of monitoring systems and data loggers for temperature monitoring significantly simplifies this and thus enables product quality to be maintained and safety risks to be minimised. With temperature data loggers, which monitor the climatic conditions during transport, temperature deviations and errors in the refrigeration system can be reliably recorded and stored. After transport, the recorded temperature data can be read out and analysed in PDF format via a USB connection without the need for special software. This allows temperature conditions that prevailed during transport or storage to be traced and analysed to determine whether critical conditions have occurred that may have led to damage to the chemicals. Disposable temperature data loggers such as the „Tempmate S1“ are suitable for quick and practical use to monitor temperatures.
Disposable data loggers are practical, inexpensive and easy to integrate into the transport chain. If there is no computer available to read out the data via USB after a transport, data loggers that can also be used via an app, such as the „Bosch TDL 110 transport data logger“, are a good alternative. This means that the temperature data can also be analysed and evaluated on a smartphone or tablet to determine whether critical temperature events have occurred during transport.
Advantages of cloud-based real-time monitoring
Real-time data loggers are even more convenient and user-friendly.
With the „SpotBot Cellular“, for example, from the manufacturer SpotSee, not only temperatures, but also temperatures can be monitored during a chemical transport. Using mobile communications and a web-based cloud, real-time data loggers make it possible to retrieve the impact and temperature data recorded during transport in real time at any time. This makes it easy to determine if and when deviations from the required temperature ranges occur during transport, allowing immediate action to be taken if critical events occur. Temperature data can be recorded seamlessly and damage can be prevented at an early stage before it occurs thanks to real-time transmission. The information obtained can also help to improve future transport quality together with the freight forwarder and optimise the supply chain. Real-time data loggers not only ensure the flawless transport of chemicals, but also save considerable additional costs and time losses by reducing the need for replacement deliveries.