Information on barcoded seals

Security seals are attached to any items or goods for security reasons. The technology of seals has been around for quite some time now. A lot of businesses and even individuals

Know more about Electronic seals

It is estimated that the turnover rate will double again in the next eight to ten years. The objective is to be able to trace each stations freight gaps. This is currently not possible to 100 percent. The security market still offers numerous technical solutions for container monitoring. In the medium term, however, international standards are needed.

20 million containers

About 90 percent of the international transport of goods carried in containers, and the trend is rising. Transport costs are low because the steel boxes can be moved both on ships and on other means of transport. More than 20 million containers are used worldwide in ports, on ships by truck and rail road. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, several security initiatives have been launched by the USA. But in other countries, there are fears that containers are not only used for transportation of goods, but also as a “Trojan horse” for drugs and illegal arms deals and terrorist attacks are abused. When term container security are two aspects to consider. Firstly, the container manipulation, ie the protection against unauthorized opening and on the other the real-time monitoring of container along the entire transport chain, ie from packing, loading and temporary storage until the authorized opening a container.

Mechanics and RFID

As protection there are different technical solutions. The methods range from VdS-approved mechanical locking device to the fully electronically controlled, smart container (“smart container”). For monitoring of containers on unauthorized opening serve systems with RFID transponders. RFID tags are attached, for example as a combination of mechanical bolt seal with electronic RFID chips on the container. They are also referred to as an electronic seal (“e-seal”). They have an ID number and shall include information as to the content and transport. With special Hand-held reading devices, the data is read out and transferred to a central data processing system. This enables the containers to compare data with the shipping documents.

GPS / GSM combination

For real-time monitoring are smart units, on-board computer with its own software. They are mounted with magnets on the door or in a bead of the steel container. Smart Units consist of a combination of GPS receiver and GSM mobile phone – as indicated by an outside antenna. Additional sensors, such as switch contacts or motion detectors are designed for indoor and for response monitoring. Using GPS, the current location of a container are established and transmitted via GSM to a security control center. In “Future Smart Container” the intelligent unit is integrated into the container. They monitored and recorded during the entire transport all security incidents and generates messages for example, when the door is opening or when exposed to light after a breakup. Well-known shipping companies have developed over the past years in collaboration with electronics corporations own container tracking systems. All have in common the approach of active or passive RFID technology. Because of the worldwide international container traffic but proprietary island solutions are needed in the future, but increasingly international standards. The attempt to create universal norms, however, has proven to be difficult process. The increasing security requirements of the huge container flows is to meet only through the development of modern information and communication technologies like indicative seals and electronic seals. It must be such that it is not only limited to national issues in the logistics flow, but captures the entire global transport chain, thus creating uniform international transparency in the handling of goods.