Data acquisition DATA INSTEAD OF DEBATE I


When heavy machinery or high-value components of industrial plants are transported worldwide, delays and damage occur time and again. This often leads to protracted discussions: When did the damage occur – during packing, during handling, or only after delivery to the customer? And who is responsible? Without reliable information, all that remains are assumptions and conflicting statements. Event data from autonomous data loggers provide clarity and transparency in these situations: they objectively document what actually happens along the supply chain – and thus provide the basis for investigation and claims settlement.


n the global transport of heavy and high- value cargo, responsibilities are constantly shifting: The manufacturer produces the goods, quality control inspects them, a packaging service provider handles the export packaging, followed by freight forwarders, cargo handling companies, ports, customs authorities, and finally the end customer. Numerous service providers are involved, especially in multimodal transport, where goods are transshipped multiple times and travel long distances by truck, rail, ship, or plane. “If the goods arrive damaged, the search for the responsible party begins,” explains Josia Fritz, product manager at ASPION, who specialises in monitoring complex heavy-haul and project shipments. ASPION supports companies with sensor solutions to objectively record transport stresses and identify risks early on. When damage occurs, a dispute arises between logistics and quality management over whether the damage occurred before shipment or while in transit. Was the component actually handed over in perfect condition? Or was there already damage that was only discovered later? Packers and transportation service providers


debate: Was the load properly secured, and was the packaging carried out in accordance with all specifications? Even exemplary load securing can fail under exceptional stress. However, it may not have been correctly designed and implemented. Sometimes damage does not become apparent until after delivery – and that is when the supplier and end customer end up at odds. If machinery and equipment are accepted without any complaints but defects then become apparent after commissioning, the question arises as to whether the goods were damaged during transport or whether the damage occurred at the end customer’s site, for example, due to improper storage. If plant components are temporarily stored outdoors for days or even weeks after delivery, factors such as frost, moisture, or extreme temperature fluctuations can cause significant damage. Such damage is difficult to determine retrospectively. It is not uncommon for capital goods such as machinery, energy technology, measurement and medical technology, or aerospace components to be damaged during multimodal transport: “The greatest risks arise at the interfaces, at cargo handling facilities, and at intermediate warehouses,” Fritz continues. Crane operators work under time pressure and set containers down too roughly. Truck drivers have to brake abruptly or navigate poorly maintained roads. Even a single impact can cause damage to sensitive machinery. In addition, geopolitical events are changing transport conditions. Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, ships are currently forced to choose alternative routes. Transportation times are lengthening; goods are exposed to extreme weather conditions for longer periods or are suddenly transported via alternative land routes through desert regions. Josia Fritz explains: “For manufacturers, logistics service providers, and end customers, it then becomes nearly impossible to determine what stresses the goods were actually exposed to.”


In addition, there are other unusual occurrences: Customs authorities open shipping crates, sometimes damaging the sealed protective packaging in the process or failing to reseal them properly. Even a small leak is enough for moisture to penetrate the packaging during a weeks-long sea voyage and cause corrosion damage.


28


DATA SHED LIGHT ON THE SITUATION “ASPION’s modern data loggers and tracking systems solve the problem of lacking traceability,” says Fritz. “They create transparency throughout the entire supply chain by recording, as they occur, the critical events and environmental conditions that are crucial for assessing transport damage.” Impact and acceleration data are particularly important. Shock data loggers record mechanical stresses and reveal whether a shipment has been exposed to unusual vibrations. So-called “rough handling” can occur quickly, especially at transshipment points. In cases of hidden transport damage, such data can provide crucial insight into why a product fails in operation even though no external damage is visible.


Recording temperature and humidity readings during transport is also important: Many machines and technical components are sensitive to climatic conditions; high or low temperatures can adversely affect components, cause thermal damage, or promote corrosion. Light and tilt sensors provide additional information: They indicate whether shipping crates have been opened – which may suggest theft – or whether goods have been tilted improperly. Especially in the case of equipment containing oils or liquids, tilting can lead to consequential damage.


This data is supplemented by location information. Fritz: “Using cellular and GPS technologies, we can track where the goods are at any given time and where a critical event has occurred.” This allows damage to be attributed to specific transport stages and, in particular, to specific areas of responsibility.


FROM DOCUMENTATION TO ACTIVE MANAGEMENT


Depending on the application, different systems are used: Traditional data loggers record all transport conditions and are only read out once the


September 2026 Instrumentation Monthly


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72