Asset category
Containers, Silos and Tanks
Tank monitoring with IoT automatically records the contents, weight and location of containers, silos and tanks. Operators plan replenishment, collection and delivery routes according to actual demand instead of reading each tank on site.
Assets in “Containers, Silos and Tanks”
Used in 52 projects
Bottle
On a bottle filling line, a connected operator interface records the fill quantity, weight and label of every bottle. Recipes can then be set automatically, and faulty batches can be traced back to a single bottle.
Collection container
Waste container monitoring connects collection containers and waste locks so that they report fill levels and emptying events in real time. Operators see which containers are full, plan collections accordingly and bill by actual use.
Container
Container tracking software with IoT shows where a container is and its status, whether an air freight container, a container in a construction fleet or a unit shipped worldwide. Companies save search time and plan storage more precisely.
Crucible
Drum
Drum level monitoring with IoT continuously shows how much material is left in a drum and calculates its remaining time. Resupply is ordered in good time, and production does not stop because resin or hardener has run out.
Fermentation tank
In a commercial fermentation tank, IoT monitors fermentation continuously instead of drawing a sample once a day. Brewmasters see sugar, alcohol and fermentation progress in real time and recognise in good time when fermentation is complete.
Fuel tank
An IoT fuel tank monitoring system reports the level of a plant's diesel tank, emergency fuel reserves or a construction dryer's fuel tank continuously and remotely. Operators plan refills on real values and detect theft or leaks early.
Gas cylinder
Gas cylinder management with IoT lets gas suppliers and operators see at any time how much content is left in distributed gas cylinders. Deliveries can be planned in good time, shortages avoided and routes run more efficiently.
Gas storage
Tank monitoring for containers, silos and storage tanks
Transport containers, load carriers, pallets and process vessels are the most common subcategories, followed by containers, fuel and storage tanks and collection containers. For transport containers and load carriers, the focus is on location and route; for tanks, silos and drums, it is on fill level. ifm monitors mesh pallet boxes for waste by fill level and weight and transmits the values via Bluetooth Mesh to the moneo platform. IBC tanks are fitted with the Smart Cap sensor box from Packwise, which sends its data via the cellular network using SIM cards from 1NCE. Silos report their stock levels via LoRaWAN to the WIKA Silo Manager, and the fuel tanks of the State of Hesse report their levels via MQTT.
The examples come from chemicals, agriculture, logistics, mechanical engineering and public administration, usually as level and distance measurement, inventory management and container management. The State of Hesse records the levels of its fuel reserves at 48 sites centrally so that they are reliably available, for example during a power cut lasting several days. According to Sensile Technologies, more than 100,000 oil, gas and chemical tanks in over 70 countries are fitted with its telemetry units to plan orders and delivery routes. ifm uses fill level monitoring of casting resin drums to control replenishment automatically.
Tank monitoring: frequently asked questions
How does an IoT tank monitoring system work?
A sensor on the tank, silo or container measures the fill level, and weight if required, and sends the values by radio or cellular network to a platform. In the solution examples, this happens via LoRaWAN, Bluetooth Mesh, NB-IoT, LTE-M or MQTT. The platform shows all stock levels centrally and reports when a limit is reached. At ifm, fill level monitoring of casting resin drums triggers replenishment automatically.
Is remote tank monitoring worthwhile for widely distributed tanks?
Yes, remote tank monitoring saves reading trips and prevents shortages, especially for widely distributed tanks. The State of Hesse records the levels of fuel tanks at 48 sites centrally instead of reading them individually on site. Sensile Technologies uses its telemetry units to plan orders and delivery routes for oil, gas and chemical tanks. In Nigeria, Schildknecht AG monitors a production site's diesel tanks via Modbus to detect supply bottlenecks early.
What does level measurement bring to waste and collection containers?
Level measurement shows when a container is actually full and makes collection plannable. If the waste disposal company comes too early, unnecessary costs arise; if it comes too late, the container overflows and staff have extra work. ifm therefore measures fill level and weight on mesh pallet boxes for scrap metal and transmits the data wirelessly via Bluetooth Mesh to the moneo platform.
How does wireless tank level monitoring connect remote tanks?
Remote tanks are usually connected via the cellular network or LoRaWAN, because there is no network cable on site. At Kögelhof, the ifm io-key transmits the readings of the well tank via the cellular network directly to moneo and reports critical water levels automatically. Packwise fits IBC tanks worldwide with the Smart Cap sensor box, which transmits via NB-IoT and LTE-M. WIKA connects silos on farms via LoRaWAN.
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