Influence of digitalisation on the planning of the isocyanate fleet

Influence of digitalisation on the planning of the isocyanate fleet


At Bertschi, the new isocyanate container fleet will be equipped with telematics boxes for tracking, and thermometers for product temperature monitoring. Currently, 80 percent of the fleet is equipped with the new devices and in operational use.

What once was an extremely time-inefficient and cost-intensive process has been replaced by just a few clicks due to the advancement of digitalisation. Currently, the iso­cyanate fleet comprises of almost 2,100 containers.

Isocyanates are temperature-sensitive products that must be heated or cooled to a customer-­specific unloading temperature in transit or at the latest before delivery. Thanks Bertschi’s new telematics system, operational processes have been greatly optimised. The shunting, handling and manual temperature checks that used to be necessary have thus been largely eliminated, transferred to the computer of the responsible planner and made more proficient.

The devices were ordered and assigned to the sites on the basis of the above-mentioned aspects. When the first devices arrived on February 6, 2020, the set-up was successfully initiated at all locations. As of now March 2021, 80 percent of the isocyanate fleet is already equipped with the new devices and in operational use.

Seven locations were determined after an analysis took place regarding container flows and the available capacity in in-house workshops. These locations were: Antwerp, Birrfeld, Delfzijl, Duisburg, Cologne, Schwarzheide, and Tarragona.

Bertschi believes that the advantages of the new technology are clearly noticeable – it is important for the company to be able to equip the last 20 percent of the isocyanate fleet as quickly as possible – a goal they hope to achieve by the end of 2021.

For more information visit www.bertschi.com

30th June 2021