The Austrian cable protection tubes manufacturer Dietzel Univolt introduced an IoT-based tracking system for monitoring its steel drums in early 2025. The aim of the project is to be able to trace the whereabouts of the expensive load carriers at all times, avoid losses and manage returns efficiently. The system provides the logistics team with up-to-date position data across locations and thereby creates transparency across the entire drum cycle—from production, delivery and retrieval.
Digital traceability in the drum cycle
Dietzel Univolt manufactures at the locations Vienna, Pezinok (Slovakia) and Dongguan (China) annually several million meters of cable protection tubes. The delivery is carried out on large-format steel drums with a
diameter of up to 2.80 meters. Since each drum costs over €1,500, the losses that had accumulated over the years caused substantial additional costs. Drums were left behind on construction sites or could no longer be located without systematic tracking.
IoT solution with Sensolus trackers
To solve this problem, the company, together with the Austrian system integrator 7iD Technologies, implemented a tracking system from the Belgian provider Sensolus. The battery-powered IoT trackers are mounted inside the steel drums and are protected from weather and mechanical influences. They regularly transmit position data via NB-IoT and are connected to the cloud-based Sensolus platform, which the logistics team accesses directly.
Rollout and operation
After a field service test phase, Dietzel Univolt began the rollout in early 2025. Initially, selected drums were equipped; subsequently, the equipment of new load carriers was carried out in stages. Currently, more than 100 trackers are in operation, and the number is expected to rise with each new drum.
The system automatically reports when a tracker remains outside a defined geofence for longer than one month. This enables the logistics team to initiate retrieval actions early. The platform also enables a direct location display and supports dispatch between the sites in Austria and Slovakia.
Operational use and results
Dietzel Univolt uses the Sensolus platform independently; integration into the company’s
own SAP system is not planned at present. The application serves site monitoring, retrieval control and the semi-automatic information flow via e-mail notifications to the sales department. Since the introduction, search times and procurement replacements have fallen significantly. The new transparency facilitates coordination between the involved sites and ensures a structured management of load carriers in circulation.
Technical and organizational integration
The implementation was supported by 7iD Technologies, which assisted the project from installation briefings to training of the staff. The system is now firmly integrated into daily operations. New drums are equipped with trackers as standard. The project remains open to expansions, for example through additional sensor functions offered
