The India Cold Chain Show 2019, organised by Reed Manch Exhibitions, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, saw over 100 companies showcase its refrigeration, storage, logistics, and IoT developments, aimed to tackle some of the major challenges in the cold chain industry.
Developments in IoT
Mumbai-based Adapt Ideations showcased two of its independent devices, Pixel and Kelvin. Both offer real-time data logging and high sensitivity asset tracking. What separates these devices from the rest of the IoT devices is that they have an enormous array of sensors and violation recorders that track light, shock, temperature, humidity and live location simultaneously. The data captured by the sensors can be accessed through a dashboard provided in the subscription-based software.
The company’s emphasised on the importance of data transparency in supply chain management. They explained how transparency is essential to provide companies with the confidence that their suppliers, materials, and products are genuine, acquired honestly, and live up to the company standards.
Japanese manufacturer Kii displayed its services Ready and Direct. Ready provides sensing and data-logging services. On the other hand, Direct provides an integrated cold chain marketplace and monitoring service. It can act as a medium for the consumers, suppliers, and the logistics division to communicate effectively with one another.
Optimum Technologies displayed its single-use temperature, humidity data loggers that were being provided for an extremely low price, ranging from Rs 650-1,500. This attempt at creating single-use loggers in the cold chain industry is commendable.
Chemical monitoring
Chemical influence and the logistics associated with it are usually sidelined by the industry. But, Navi-Mumbai based Chemtron Science Laboratories shed light on its post-harvest technologies, gas analyzers and handling, sensor systems. Its fruit ripening systems can control parameters such as temperature, humidity, ethylene (to activate the ripening process), and CO2 (to accelerate the ripening process).
Cold Storage facilities
Pune-based Arctic Refrigerations had an array of impressive refrigeration products and undertake turnkey projects, including civil works, pre-engineering building, refrigeration, insulation, electrical, flooring, prefab panels, docking stations, packing and grading line and the transport refrigeration systems.
Pallets and Thermal insulations
Ahmedabad-based Pearlice showed its thermal insulators that have been made using reflective layers of MetPET that can withstand temperature variations of up to five degrees Celsius. It also had other variations, including the one with aluminum foil covering that had a 97% reflectivity rate along with a reusable wrapping belt that acted as a substitute for traditional cling wrap.
Nilkamal showcased appropriate substitutes for wood pellets using plastic pellets that were either injection moulded or roto-moulded. Innovative concepts like creation of corrugated foldable crates and vacuum formed crates made of plastic were also presented.
The exhibition pointed towards an extremely innovative year in the R&D which going forward will deliver improved efficiency and communications in the cold chain industry.