CHEP Aerospace Solutions, the leading independent provider of outsourced unit load device (ULD) and galley cart services, has announced the start of a field trial of an innovative new energy harvesting GPS and GSM* tracking solution for ULDs on board the aircraft of its customer airlines.
This latest ground-breaking innovation complements CHEP’s full service ULD management and has the potential to simplify and enrich the information flows that track cargo as it moves through the aviation supply chain. Customers will be able to use CHEP’s ULDs as a proxy to track the movement of their shipment, while ensuring world-class asset control and damage reduction.
CHEP developed its new tracking solution in exclusive partnership with OnAsset Intelligence Inc., the market leader in air cargo tracking solutions. The solution incorporates OnAsset’s SENTRY FlightSafe® real-time data collection and GPS tracking technology – the only tracking solution approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for use on board aircraft during flight. The tracking device installed on each ULD is connected to a solar panel and a customised power converter that harvests energy from sunlight and charges the on-board batteries. Through its upcoming field trial, which will involve 50 ULDs on board a range of aircraft, CHEP will test and validate the energy harvesting component of the solution, and in parallel, will conduct impact testing at its Orlando based Innovation Centre to prove the solution’s overall robustness.
OnAsset Intelligence Inc. CEO, Adam Crossno, said: “We are proud to be part of the team that developed this innovative solution which can solve various logistics challenges in the aviation supply chain and will redefine technology employed in the management of ULDs and cargo. The device meets the aviation industry’s stringent laws and regulations that govern the use of portable electronic devices and batteries on board the aircraft and we look forward to the success and widespread use of this new GPS/GSM tracking solution.”
CHEP Aerospace Solutions IT Director, Floris Kleijn, said: “Our new ULD tracking solution is a truly unique combination of excellence in business, technology and design, resulting from two years of development work with intellectual property rights being owned by CHEP and OnAsset. It combines the accuracy of GPS with the redundancy of GSM, in cases where GPS is unavailable. During the field and laboratory trials we will work with our customers to optimise the device and refine the scenarios that can deliver the anticipated customer and business benefits. We strive to develop products and services that add value for our customers and are confident that this innovative device will further enhance CHEP’s comprehensive ULD management solutions.”
