In the past five years or so, our society and economy have undergone tremendous changes in terms of sustainable development. The chemical industry is among them, and the manufacturing industry is closely related to resource utilization and high resource consumption.
The challenges faced by chemical companies are many: how to integrate sustainable processes into existing business models? Which investments are meaningful and worthwhile? Can a sustainable company be profitable? Circular economy has become the answer to these The most promising approach to the problem. As the name suggests, circular economy is to find a new, circular way to deal with energy and resources. Linear material flows are replaced by cycles, which return products and raw materials to the value chain again and again. On the one hand, this has a positive impact on the balance of raw materials and energy, and on the other hand, it opens up opportunities to promote sales through more effective management. As a key resource of the chemical industry, medium-sized bulk containers play an important role in it. What you will find in this blog post:
How modern tracking technology transforms IBC containers into round products.
Smart IBC containers are becoming a sustainable circular economy tool for chemical companies.
How chemical suppliers can help you continue to operate and profit.
New digital technology paves the way for a resource-friendly circular economy
Almost no chemical company does not use Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs). So far, these containers have been considered indispensable tools for the entire industry, but they have only been effectively used for recycling within a limited range.
This is because until now, ibc has not been digitally recorded and tracked. Innovative, data-driven industrial IoT technology now makes this possible. The Packwise Smart Cap sensor package provides chemical companies with the opportunity to digitally simulate IBC containers for the first time. So how?
The data provided by Packwise Smart Cap can be used to construct a digital twin of IBC. As a digital representation of a real container, the twin provides online/digital access to important parameters such as filling level, location, ambient temperature and container status.
If each container is equipped with a Smart Cap, the entire IBC fleet will provide a large amount of data about its current location and condition. This data enables chemical companies to monitor, control and plan their IBC processes and coordinate with partners in the value chain.
With Packwise smart sensors, the chemical industry finally has a viable way to achieve a circular economy. Let's take a closer look at how IBC container tracking creates conditions for circular packaging cycles:
1. IBC container tracking supports transparent processes
The transportation company obtained full control of IBC management through Packwise Smart Cap data. Such as "How many containers are there currently in which location?" You can get the answer with just a few mouse clicks. This transparency improves processes throughout the supply chain:
The manual management of the company has been reduced.
You can better plan your future business adventures in advance.
You can closely monitor the quality of packaging and products, and intervene before harmful external effects have an impact.
By providing real-time data, you can provide excellent, proactive services to your customers and partners.
2. IBC container tracking supports connectivity
Reuse and recycling of commodities is a key element of the circular economy. This is a task that no industry can complete alone, because it is too inefficient to do so. On the contrary, raw materials and products, such as medium-sized bulk containers, must be fully considered and managed.
When companies work closely together across all links of the value chain across the product life cycle, the circular economy is born. Today, such cooperation is mainly digital, for example on logistics platforms.
By digitally managing IBC containers, you pave the way for profitable connections with customers, suppliers, and service providers. You can share important kpi with your business partners to ensure that the resource IBC and the goods transferred in it are used in the best way.
3. IBC container tracking supports automation
Connectivity itself opens up a lot of potential, but the possibilities don't stop there: digital twins also lay the foundation for saving time in process automation.
For example, a low fill level can trigger automatic reordering. You can automatically create entries for incoming and outgoing goods, or you can collect empty containers after reaching a certain number. You can finally say goodbye to tedious manual coordination.
