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Dehumidification without hermetic sealing
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Do you transport your goods by sea container or do you use container transport by rail via the New Silk Road? The most important thing for you, as well as every exporter, is that the load arrives at your client as a whole and in one piece, isn't it? Stretch wrap, lashing straps, anti-slide mats, and further packing aids are used when securing cargo. Still you can never be sure what nasty surprise awaits the person opening the container at the port of arrival. High humidity and extremely fluctuating temperatures for weeks on end throughout the trip can damage the goods themselves, their wrapping, and the packaging aids. That might as well be each carrier's nightmare.
Or do you use containers as additional storage space, permanently or temporarily? Even the temperature fluctuations between day and night can be enough to cause the humidity in storage rooms to repeatedly exceed a critical level. Mould, rust and changes in the smell or taste of the contents and packaging of the stored cardboard boxes, big bags or general cargo are the possible consequences, just as with container transport.
If you've just been confronted with the unpleasant follow-up of a transport or storage damage due to too much moisture, rest assured: You are not alone. It doesn't matter if you produce cars, machinery parts, or metal coils, if you brew or bottle beverages and liquors, or if you manufacture apparel or leatherware. ThoMar OHG recommends the use of a long-term effective dehumidifier based on salt and starch. The salt attracts moisture from the ambient air, which is then immediately bound to a gel by the starch and cannot escape.
Our high performance desiccant SeaDry was originally developed specifically for the use in sea containers, but is also ideally suited for rail transport. Furthermore, it protects stored goods against moisture damage. Clients from various industries, e.g. machine construction, automobile manufacturers, or the food industry, trust in the performance of SeaDry made by ThoMar. We provide solutions, not only products.
Moisture protection for sensitive electronics with SeaDry - a practical example
A European manufacturer of high-tech electronic systems was planning to ship sensitive electronic components to Asia in a sea container. The dismantled system components, including microchip circuits and other components, are extremely susceptible to moisture, which can cause corrosion and short circuits. With this in mind, the company decided to take preventative measures to avoid moisture damage.
The challenge:
During the transfer, which took a good 8 weeks in total, the container travelled through various climate zones with fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels. This posed a considerable risk to the loaded electronics, as even humidity levels above 50% can lead to corrosion damage to cables and components. The customer was looking for a solution to keep the relative humidity constantly low and thus ensure the functionality of the electronics. The packaging components also needed to be protected.
Solution with SeaDry:
The company decided to use SeaDry Hook 1200g for protection. The desiccant was attached to the lashing eyes on the container walls to prevent condensation. In addition to this load securing measure for the entire container, inbox desiccants were integrated within the packaging on the pallets to ensure maximum moisture protection.
Result:
The combined use of SeaDry plus inbox desiccant proved its worth - moisture was kept at a safe level throughout the entire transport. Both the electronic components and the packaging materials arrived at their destination without any damage. The economical use of SeaDry container desiccants was particularly convincing, as just 10 of them per 40-foot container were enough to reliably protect the entire load.
SeaDry protects electronics from moisture damage
SeaDry in action: Protecting textile goods during transport by container
An international textile manufacturer was faced with the challenge of transporting its goods safely from Europe to the Far East. Due to geopolitical conditions, the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope was chosen. Experience shows that a total transfer time of up to 14 weeks must be expected. The containers pass through changing climatic conditions several times. This means that the risk of moisture damage, such as mould, softened cardboard packaging and unpleasant odours, is very high.
Problem definition:
The textiles were covered with foil in the cardboard packaging, but not individually packed in polybags. The customer's original idea of adding silica gel bags to the cartons turned out to be unsuitable, as silica gel is only effective in airtight packaging.
Solution:
ThoMar recommended the use of SeaDry Single 125g bags. These high-performance desiccants absorb seven times as much moisture compared to Silica Gel, providing optimum protection during the long sea journey.
Result:
By using SeaDry, moisture damage was avoided and the goods were delivered to the recipient safely and in perfect condition. This led to a high level of customer satisfaction and long-term confidence in the use of SeaDry for future shipments.
SeaDry protects textiles from moisture damage
How to protect relocation goods from moisture damage with desiccants
Emigrating to New Zealand, Thailand, Brazil or the Caribbean? We regularly receive enquiries from private individuals as well as companies specialising in removal logistics who want to keep sea containers with the emigrants' complete household goods dry on the long journey. Wooden and upholstered furniture, metal kitchen equipment, large and small electronic appliances, clothing, shoes, decorations, works of art and many irreplaceable heirlooms need to be protected effectively and with as little effort as possible from the most common forms of moisture damage.
Here are some recommendations to ensure that your start in dreamland is not spoilt by mould, rust, mildew stains and a musty smell when you open the container.
- A combination of a high-performance desiccants (here: SeaDry on a salt-starch basis) - for use in the container - and a so-called inbox desiccants (here: CertiDry in accordance with DIN 55473 / contains clay granules) - for use inside the moving boxes - offers the best protection.
- Use packaging materials, such as moving boxes, in as dry a state as possible. Paper / cardboard binds moisture depending on the ambient climate; if necessary, dry in the boiler room beforehand.
- Line moving boxes with sturdy plastic film bags / bin liners, for example. Place the packaged goods together with CertiDry desiccant in accordance with DIN 55473 (type A, 4 DU or 8 DU, 1-2 bags per box). Seal the bags (squeeze out the air first) and moving boxes. Tape up the handle holes so that no further moist air can get in.
- Equip the container with SeaDry container desiccant before loading; the SeaDry Pole H 1.2 kg variant is particularly suitable for this application. Simply mount each piece with its hook on the lashing eyes along the long sides of the container (10 pieces per 20-foot container / 20 pieces per 40-foot container). Overseas shipments by private individuals often take three months or longer. With this amount of SeaDry, the removal goods remain safely protected until arrival.
- Place another box of unused SeaDry Pole H in the container. After arrival, check the saturation status of the suspended desiccants (check by weighing: one SeaDry Pole H is saturated at a weight of approx. 3.6 kg). If the house or flat is not yet ready for occupancy on arrival and the load has to remain in the container for longer, use additional SeaDry desiccants if necessary.
- All desiccants can be disposed of in the residual waste after your relocation project is completed.
SeaDry desiccants for containers and CertiDry desiccants in accordance with DIN 55473 are available in the ThoMar webshop or at Amazon.
Protect your household contents from damp when moving
Protect timber from moisture during transport
When timber is transported and stored in containers, condensation regularly occurs in the form of container rain or cargo sweat. Our customer had loaded technically dried sawn timber with 8-12% residual moisture. After four weeks, the value was up to 45% wood moisture on arrival due to the fluctuating humidity during transport. The reason: wood strives for equilibrium moisture content and changes its own water content depending on the ambient climate. Our client noted that particularly the beams placed at the outer edges of the transport racks had absorbed a lot of moisture.
In order to prevent damage fostered by moisture, e.g. the development of wood-destroying fungi, and the resulting possible complaints from the recipient, our high-performance desiccant SeaDry is both a simple and safe solution. It was specifically developed for use in containers and is manufactured in-house. The container desiccant is suitable for moisture protection during transport and storage of solid wood and wood-based materials. Several wood processing companies are already successfully using SeaDry in their logistics projects. In the case here, the humidity also remained within a non-critical range thanks to the use of SeaDry.
You can find the standard shapes, sizes and fastening options on offer in the (siehe SeaDry shop category). With our wide range of desiccants, we can also cover other areas and process steps to meet your needs.
Sawn timber is also transported in containers
Protect special glass transports in containers from moisture
Even the temperature fluctuations between day and night can be enough for the humidity in enclosed spaces to repeatedly exceed a critical level. Condensation in the form of container rain or cargo sweat also regularly occurs during the transport and storage of architectural glass in containers. In the past, this led to mould on the wooden packaging components at one of our customers - and thus to a complaint from the recipient. In the worst case, customs can even refuse to release a container with infested packing aids.
To prevent moisture damage to your valuable cargo over the entire transfer period, our specially developed and manufactured high-performance desiccant SeaDry for use in containers is a solution that is as simple as it is safe. Several producers of glass products are already successfully using SeaDry in their logistics projects (see enclosed best practice). The container desiccant is also suitable for moisture protection during the transport and storage of porcelain, ceramic and enamel goods.
Various shapes, sizes and fastening options are available (see category page). With our wide range of desiccants, we can cover other areas and process steps for your needs as well.
Architectural and other special glass is also transported in containers
Prevent moisture damage to paper rolls during container transport
The temperature fluctuations between day and night can already be sufficient for the humidity in enclosed spaces to repeatedly exceed a critical level. Thus, when sensitive paper rolls are transported and stored in containers, condensation regularly occurs in the form of container rain or cargo sweat. At one of our customers, this led to soggy sections on the paper rolls, which first had to be removed as rejects before further processing in China..
To prevent such moisture damage to your valuable cargo over the entire transfer period, our high-performance SeaDry desiccant, specially developed and manufactured for use in containers, is a solution that is as simple as it is safe. Various paper and packaging suppliers already successfully use SeaDry container desiccants in their logistics projects. Various shapes, sizes and fastening options are available (see category page). With our wide range of desiccants, we can also cover other areas and process steps for your needs
Paper rolls are transported in freight containers
Securing container transports on the New Silk Road against moisture
Field trials conducted together with customers help us to determine the optimal use of our desiccants for the specific application. Now, during the transport of organic food in a 40-foot container on the New Silk Road to China, SeaDry container desiccants were used to protect the sensitive goods from moisture.
Unlike by sea, where the position of the container determines how exposed the cargo is to the elements, by rail the conditions are the same for all containers. The New Silk Road runs for a good 10,000 km not only across national borders, but also through different climate zones. Extreme temperature fluctuations and thus equally strong ups and downs in relative humidity favour the formation of condensation - and thus increase the risk of moisture damage.
Thanks to SeaDry, the relative humidity remains below critical values and condensation does not occur.
Finding a solution together
After analysing the requirements, the ThoMar product manager in charge recommended the use of 20 SeaDry Hook 600 g desiccant chains. These should always be distributed as evenly as possible in the container and can be attached to the lashing rings by means of a sturdy hook. The amount of desiccant required was determined on the one hand by the expected day and night temperatures typical for the time of year (May / June) in the areas passed through. On the other hand, a safety buffer was necessary concerning the absorption capacity, as the transfer on the Silk Road can be considerably prolonged by the rerouting to other gauges as well as by waiting times in the customs area. It had to be ensured that the desiccants could keep the relative humidity at a non-critical level during the entire transport period.
The load is protected during transport not only by desiccants but also by dunnage bags.
SeaDry keeps your cargo dry
Thanks to the data logger used, the temperature and relative humidity could be precisely tracked. The progressions confirmed the precautionary measure of using desiccants during transport. The mould limit of 75% RH was not exceeded at any time, and on average the relative humidity was at an optimal 44.1%. The desiccant chains absorbed a total of 7.7 litres of water, about 60% of their own weight. Since the absorption capacity of SeaDry is at least 200%, there would have been sufficient reserves to ensure a longer transport time if necessary.
Evaluation of the data logger: Despite strong temperature fluctuations, the relative humidity during the experiment was only 44.1%.
Mould on Packaging and Packing Aids
When machine parts were transported in sea containers from Europe to North America by our customer, mould formed on the packaging and packing aids. Test transports equipped with data loggers as well as an investigation of the entire logistics process revealed the reasons: a continuous exceeding of the mould growth threshold during transport, an excessive moisture content in packaging and packing aids as well as an infestation of the pallets / dunnage even before the application.
Reaching a solution together
Several pieces of the container desiccant SeaDry Pole H were suspended from the container's lashing eyes, and the compact SeaDry Single desiccant bags found their place in the shipping boxes. These measures were successful: the use of desiccants prevented the moisture level from exceeding the critical mould threshold during transport. There were hardly any dark spots left on the wood.
On the basis of our advice, the company optimised further steps of its shipping preparations. They use kiln-dried timber now. This step ultimately resolved the remaining mold issue. Our aim is to collaborate on equal terms with our clients, and to help them accomplish the best possible result while managing costs efficently at the same time.
Mould formed on the packing aids
Metal industry: Prevent Corrosion on Steel Coils
The greatest threat when transporting coils of steel strip and steel wire from place A to B is corrosion. Too much humidity in the container, together with changing outside temperatures, can lead to a sharply rising corrosion curve. A shipping company specialising in the transport of goods by inland waterway vessels had already dealt with the minimisation of the risk of moisture damage. Those responsible initially decided to use desiccant in the form of a drip system. As the name already suggests, a liquid is created here during air dehumidification. This liquid, to be more precise: brine, leaked onto the metal coils during shipping. This was a perfect starter for rust to form.
Reaching a solution together
Our container desiccant SeaDry, on the other hand, consists of a salt binder mixture. Besides calcium chloride, starch is added to the desiccant bags to bind the water. The salt absorbs moisture from the ambient air and the starch ensures that the resulting liquid is bound to form a gel. This prevents water from leaking and the saturated desiccants can be easily disposed of.
For a test, our customer received precise instructions on how to proceed with the tested desiccants and data loggers after arrival at the destination. The relative water absorption capacity of our SeaDry products (over 200 % of their own weight) was much higher than that of the pure draining systems (approx. 125 %). This makes them cheaper to use than competing products. In addition, SeaDry offers greater safety by binding the absorbed water to form a gel. This means our customer benefits twice over.
Corrosion on metal coils
Corrosion and Musty Smell within Vehicles
The automobile manufacturer regularly shipped upper middle class vehicles in containers from Europe to Central America. Recipients complained of a musty smell inside the car as well as incipient rust formation. Together with the customer, the ThoMar team carried out test transports under real conditions to generate valid data.
The evaluations showed that during transport up to 80% relative humidity was reached in the vehicle interior. This led to odor development. In addition, the corrosion threshold was also regularly exceeded outside the vehicle in the container, which encouraged formation of rust. After our customer applied the desiccant SeaDry Strip ADH and the compact desiccant bag SeaDry Single , there were no further complaints from the recipient.
Photo composition: Car in container
Protect components of clamping devices for vehicle construction against moisture
Project at a ThoMar customer: So-called automated structural plates were to be transported in containers from Germany to Asia. In the automotive industry, the structural panels serve as a platform for devices that are used in the quality assurance of car body components. Due to the electronic components they contain, it was essential to protect the goods in their export packaging from moisture damage during transport.
Reaching a solution together
After a close coordination process between the customer and the ThoMar consultant in charge, the goods were packed in a customised aluminium composite bonnet, together with desiccant bags according to DIN 55473, and sealed airtight. In addition, desiccant blankets - SeaDry Blanket - were used to prevent possible mould growth on the wooden export crate used. For this purpose, the SeaDry Blankets were placed on the aluminium composite foil. ThoMar supplied the required desiccants, advised the customer on the required film wrapping and arranged the purchasing contact for this. Thus protected, the goods arrived at their destination in perfect condition.
Clamping device for vehicle construction in export packaging
Corrosion on Chemical Drums
The customer of one of our trading partners, a manufacturer of chemical products, had problems with corrosion on the drums and sealing which occurred during container transport from Europe to the Far East. Measuring the relative humidity in the container during test transports showed a continuous exceeding of the rust limit. In addition, the customer had used pallets with excessive moisture content and had also carried out loading in the open air. This resulted in container rain (condensation of excess humidity).
The use of the desiccants SeaDry Blanket and SeaDry Single proved to effectively prevent corrosion. In order to enable an economically optimized use of desiccants, a weather-protected storage of the pallets as well as a weather-protected loading of the general cargo was organized. Subsequently, the use of SeaDry Single desiccant bags was no longer necessary.
Photo composition: Chemical drums in sea container
Mould after Shipping Cornstarch Sacks
Foodstuffs are always subject to particularly strict quality controls. For example, following the transport of starch from Europe to the Far East, our customer immediately received a complaint from the recipient when they noticed mould on the kraft paper bags. There was also a noticeable change in product odour. The reason for the damage was the residual moisture in the goods due to the production process, which led to condensation forming in the stretch-wrapped pallets.
An analysis of the logistics process by the ThoMar consultant showed that the stowage plan and sequence of container loading in this individual case required the placement of a desiccant directly on the bagged goods. Here our customer decided on the desiccant SeaDry Blanket. To further reduce the risk of damage, the company now dispenses with the cover film on the pallets to allow air circulation in the pallet packaging. In addition, before stretching, the small SeaDry Single desiccant bags are placed in empty spaces in the packed pallets. Thanks to these measures, there was no further transport damage caused by moisture.
Photo composition: Starch sacks on pallets in freight container
Beverages: Sodden Cardboard Packaging
Soaked cardboard boxes and peeling labels - this was the picture when the containers of the globally exporting brewery were opened at the port of destination. A desiccant based on salt-starch was already in use; nevertheless, there were repeated problems with moisture damage. In some cases, customs had even prohibited the import due to the condition of the packaging and goods. The quality assurance coordinator had approached us with this issue. They had already tried to deal with the problem by using a higher number of desiccants. But with just under 5,000 containers per year, this approach had a noticeable impact on profits.
Reaching a solution together
Together with the company, we worked out a procedure with the aim of using desiccants in a more effective way. In principle, the temperature fluctuations between day and night can already be sufficient for the humidity in a freight container to repeatedly exceed a critical level. In addition, the analysis of the ThoMar consultant in charge revealed that the individual course of the packaging process in the specific case further favoured the formation of condensation in the packed sales containers.
To prevent moisture damage to the contents and packaging of the container cargo, our SeaDry container desiccant is a solution that is as simple as it is safe. In the case described, the choice fell on the variants "Blanket" (desiccant blanket, e.g. for placement on stretched pallets) and "Single" (compact desiccant bags for flexible positioning). The adaptation of the packing scheme on the pallets by the customer enabled a particularly effective application in terms of both effectiveness and economy.
Photo composition: Pallets with beverages in a container
Protecting Sensitive Metal Parts from Corrosion during Storage
Freight containers are regularly used to store products temporarily or permanently. The storage capacities of our customer from the medical technology sector were exhausted, the extension building was not yet completed. Therefore, a part of the high-quality and moisture-sensitive articles had to be temporarily stored in a container on the company premises in south-west Germany. To avoid any risk of damage in the first place, the customer hung several SeaDry Hook 600 g from the lashing eyes in the container corrugations and used data loggers to monitor temperature and humidity throughout the entire storage period (March to June).
The measures have absolutely paid off. The container was exposed to direct sunlight during the day. The data logger recordings showed strong temperature fluctuations between -2.2° C and +43.9° C - this means a maximum risk of condensation! Nevertheless, the corrosion threshold in the container was not exceeded during the storage period: The average value was 37.3% relative humidity. For ThoMar, this result is proof that the SeaDry container desiccants, originally developed for the purpose of securing cargo during sea transport, are also highly effective in the area of storage.
Container as interim storage
Protection against Moisture in Temporary Storage for all Kinds of Goods
An increasing number of companies and also private individuals are renting storage space on a seasonal or permanent basis in large container villages or self-storage facilities. The storage spaces are relatively cheap and available in all sizes, and the user usually has 24/7 access to his compartment or container. However, there is often no electricity there and therefore no possibility to heat one's own storage space or to set up an electric dehumidifier, for example, so that the stored products are protected from condensation and thus from moisture damage in the changing climatic conditions.
An equally simple and effective solution to this problem is the use of container desiccants, such as SeaDry from ThoMar's range. With the coordinated mix of calcium chloride and starch, SeaDry desiccants draw moisture from the air like a sponge and store it safely inside the desiccant bags. SeaDry comes in various shapes and sizes, as well as with different attachment options - sure to suit your needs.
Self Storage Container Facility
