Packwise is a young company from Dresden optimizing the use of industrial packaging. With its Packwise Smart Cap, the company seamlessly tracks "Intermediate Bulk Containers" (IBCs), which are large industrial containers used primarily in the food and chemical industries to transport liquids or free-flowing contents.

By using Packwise Smart Cap to track individual IBCs and using the location data, companies can also determine the fill level, ambient temperature or possible damage due to vibrations or tilting.

In a pilot project with BASF, Packwise has recently won the German Innovation Award 2021, announced by the German Design Council and supported by German industry.

Packwise trusts in mobile cellular connectivity with 1NCE.

Background

Up to 15 million tons of new industrial packaging are produced every year. With the smart tracking solution Packwise Smart Cap, the company aims to optimize the processes surrounding the use of intermediate bulk containers, and thus contribute to more sustainability in the IBC circulation system. Precise monitoring of each individual container enables the reduction of downtimes and better utilization of individual containers.

Attached to each container via an adhesive film, the digital measuring device constantly sends status data such as position, filling quantity or temperature to a software platform. Having a precise overview of the IBC fleet in use enables customers to optimize processes, e.g. as the transport of the same quantities with fewer containers, plan better routes during transport, minimize losses due to theft or damage, automate reordering or conduct forward-looking production planning.

Challenge

Simplicity is key when retrofitting the IBC with the Packwise Smart Cap. No special containers need to be produced. Instead, every standard container should be easy to retrofit in large quantities.

Communication between the sensor and the cloud platform must be just as simple, in warehouses as well as on the road or stored outside anywhere in the world. The Smart Cap Tracker is in use in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The needed simplicity doesn’t end here. It is also important for calculating the business model, such as knowing the costs of integrating communications and how it affects operational costs.

1NCE Solution

With the 1NCE IoT Lifetime Flat, the Packwise Smart Cap gets the simplest solution imaginable: mobile communication via the best available wireless technology at any given time via 2G, and preferably NB-IoT or LTE-M for extended of battery life.

A worldwide unit price without additional roaming costs or fees for installation or setup allows easy calculation of the operating costs of the entire use case. This way, integrating connectivity is almost as easy as retrofitting the IBC with the Smart Cap Tracker.