A connected system for sensitive container loads
Someone opens a door on a refrigerated container containing vaccines. The temporary temperature change in the container is instantly displayed in a user interface on the other side of the globe. How is it possible? With the help of technology from ACTIA and Swedspot, a refrigerated container solution from Envirotainer can be connected wirelessly and monitored in real time, from anywhere in the world.
The question of how vaccines can be distributed safely to all corners of the world has never been more relevant. Many vaccines and medicines require cooling in extreme temperatures, down to -70 degrees C or lower. But even though most vaccines and medicines require cooling at around 5 degrees Celsius, the requirement for an unbroken refrigeration chain is still the same.
- Envirotainer is a technology leader in system solutions for refrigerated container transports. We offer everything from container fleets to service and support. Our customers, for example in the pharmaceutical industry, has high standards and requirements. Therefore, it is crucial that we can always monitor our containers and confirm that the refrigeration chain is unbroken during transport. Our service Control Tower supports proactive action if something unexpected occurs. It is technology from ACTIA and Swedspot that makes this possible, says Bachar Chadaideh, Senior Product Manager at Envirotainer.
A system solution from ACTIA and Swedspot
The hardware that makes it possible to connect Envirotainers containers comes from ACTIA. In combination with a user interface and cloud solution from Swedspot, the user can easily see where in the world a container is located, what temperature the cargo holds, and many other parameters that internal sensors measure. At the center of the system is a so-called TCU (telematics control unit) from ACTIA, a central control computer that is connected to all sensors in the container and brings their data online.
- ACTIA offers an off-the-shelf solution for telematics that allows our customers to connect everything from vehicles to containers, as in this case. In combination with our TCU we offer an ecosystem of services, such as global e-sim solution. Our system handles the entire chain of challenges that must be solved in order for something to be connected. Our TCU has an integrated SDK (Software Development Kit) that allows our customers to create their own application-specific functions. In this case, Envirotainer has developed many of their own features, such as the sensor system that monitors refrigeration. The collaboration with Envirotainer shows that our technology is very flexible and can be used in many different industries, says Olle Wärn, key account manager at ACTIA.
The link to the user
The data sent from the internal TCU in each container is presented through a cloud-based software solution and interface developed by Swedspot.
- Containers from Envirotainer are very advanced and can contain hundreds of onboard sensors. Their system can function autonomously for long periods. But through our cloud solution Ezentric, the user can at any time access sensor data from individual containers, wherever they are in the world. Ezentric is a powerful yet user-friendly tool that is easy to adapt based on the customer's needs. Together with ACTIA and Envirotainer, we have created a system that enables efficient and secure transport, and ultimately increased patient safety, says Ola Svensson, chief operating officer at Swedspot.