NTtank and IMT promote “smart” cooperation

NTtank (Nantong Tank Container Co., Ltd), the world second largest ISO tank manufacturer in China, professional in building various types of ISO tank containers with its annual capacity of 10,000 units (including 8,000 standard units and 2,000 specials). According to the latest ITCO tank container fleet survey, NTtank manufactured 8,500 units in 2018, an 85% utilisation rate. Its main customers include lessors such as Eurotainer, Exsif Worldwide, Seaco, Trifleet, Raffles, CS Leasing, GEM, TWS etc. and operators such as Stolt, Hoyer, ITT, Suttons, Newport, Den Hartogh, Bertschi, Sinochem etc.

IMT (Intermodal Telematics BV), was founded in 2013 and is by far the biggest supplier of telematics technology for the tank container sector. So far more than 40,000 sensors are installed on tank containers worldwide. The Dutch based company offers smart sensor technology and a software platform with which operators, container manufacturers, lessors and shippers obtain the insights to improve their product quality, efficiency and safety. The company provides generic as well as tailor-made telematics hardware and software solutions. The sensors operate in explosive atmospheres and are are all ATEX certified.

With 11 hardware engineers, 35 software engineers and in-house assembly line, IMT assures every customer the best top edge product with the highest quality. IMT sets the standard in smart sensor technology. The company’s sensors and platform improve operating efficiencies, secure quality of cargo and provide track history of all relevant data of each container; location, temperature, pressure, full-empty, heating and load- unload data. These data monitoring and retrieval leads to transparency of transport, safety, quality and integrity control, flexibility and efficiency as well as management by exception.

NTtank established cooperation relationship with IMT by choosing IMT’s so-called ‘Pre-Kit’ to install on all their tank containers, and at no extra cost for new-builds. In addition, NTtank will become the exclusive sales agent in China (excluding tank container manufacturers) of the complete telematics solution of IMT.

The IMT Pre-Kit includes a digital thermometer (Type WT17-Ex) and a bracket for the easy installation the Communication and Location Terminal (CLT). Installing the Pre-Kit is actually the preparation to change tank containers into smart tanks within 5 minutes, at any given moment. With the installed Pre-Kit including the digital thermometer, the temperature can be checked in ºC and ºF on the tank container with an accuracy of 0.3°C and no calibration is ever needed. IMT holds a patent on this non-calibration technology.

At the same time, a customer can upgrade its tank container at any time into a ‘Smart’ tank container in less than 5 minutes by installing the Communication and Location Terminal (CLT17-Ex) on the CLT-bracket and paying an activation fee for the WT17-Ex digital thermometer. Dethmer Drenth, Managing Director and founder of IMT, explains that installation of the CLT is very straightforward to do, by screwing it with two bolts onto the CLT bracket which will be pre-installed by NTtank on every new tank container.

Jie Huang, General Manager of NTtank, explained more about the reasons why his company choose IMT as a partner to make their tank containers smart: “To make a tank container become a ‘smart’ tank container is a trend for the future tank container industry. We are devoting ourselves to develop more advanced, safer and smarter tank containers. IMT is a world leading smart equipment supplier. We choose IMT to be our partner to cooperate with each other to help our customers and friends to upgrade their tank containers into smarter tanks based on both companies’ excellent products and worldwide service”.