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P&G seeks startups for automating tanker truck loading & unloading

Deadline: December 9, 2020

If you would like to submit a solution, please go to the P&G Innovation Brief Response Form https://bit.ly/2U6sCtO to complete their form with the requested information, AND submit here and we'll try to to help you get status on your application.

Business Background:

Touchless Flow Operations is strategic initiative of the P&G Product Supply organization that is focused on improving optimizing process operations through the reduction of manual touchpoints and automating where applicable. As a specific application of this initiative, P&G plant sites are interested in innovating new ways to automate the process of loading and unloading liquid chemicals to third party tanker trucks through an automated solution.

Business Challenge / Needs Definition:

P&G is looking for partners and solutions that can assist them in automating the process of connecting to third party tanker trucks, loading & unloading chemicals, and securing chemical payloads prior to exiting plant sites. There are 2 applications for this automation that will need to be considered:

  1. Automation of Ambrosia Piston Truck Hookup/Loading/Unloading/Unhooking, and
  2. Automation of Tanker Truck Hookup/Loading/Unloading/Unhooking:

Ambrosia Piston Trucks

Ambrosia is a high viscosity surfactant produced by the Cincinnati Chemicals Plant. Between 3-6 loads of ambrosia paste are shipped out of the plant each day. These trucks travel back and forth between the Cincinnati Chemicals Plant and the customer. This volume is expected to not only continue but increase. The truck used for ambrosia is equipped with an internal piston that assists in the loading and unloading of this material due to high viscosity.

Tanker Trucks

Many trucks come in and out of the Cincinnati Chemical Plants each day. On a typical day, 25 or more tanker trucks are received into the plant to be loaded or unloaded. Each of these trucks must have seals inspected and broken, then either hooked up for loading through the top manway of the tanker, or unloading through the rear chest, prior to being unhooked and sealed before leaving the plant site.

Specific Needs to be Met:

  1. An automated hookup system to minimize the amount of work needed to hookup and pump this trailer, with the goal of enabling this material to be entirely driver unloaded
  2. Solution must include safeguards to prevent damage to people or trucks
  3. Solution must take into account of viscosity changes based on weather/temperature
  4. Capabilities of the automated solution to insert booms required to fill specific materials
  5. Capabilities of the automated solution to open vents and attach hoses to reach fitting of trailers

Initial Areas of Interest for Scoping:

  1. Automated robotic solutions are being considered
  2. Additional technology applications that can provide viable means to address the challenge are encouraged
  3. Out-of-the-Box, proven solutions
  4. Custom built solutions should be considered
  5. Semi-automated solutions if, by doing so, optimizes the process for connecting, loading, and unloading trucks

The Ask:

P&G is looking for partners and solutions that can support the automation of tanker truck & piston tanker connection for loading / unloading of chemical payloads, and are available to execute a pilot in the United States. If you have ideas and supporting technologies that you believe can help deliver innovative solutions to the challenge highlighted above, we want to hear from you. Where there is a good fit, we are looking to drive agile in-market pilots with the goal of scaling successful solutions. All ideas and submissions will be fully reviewed.

Deadline: December 9, 2020
Posted on: November 19, 2020
Key Words:
Automation, chemicals

If you would like to submit a solution, please go to the P&G Innovation Brief Response Form https://bit.ly/2U6sCtO to complete their form with the requested information, AND submit here and we'll try to to help you get status on your application.

Business Background:

Touchless Flow Operations is strategic initiative of the P&G Product Supply organization that is focused on improving optimizing process operations through the reduction of manual touchpoints and automating where applicable. As a specific application of this initiative, P&G plant sites are interested in innovating new ways to automate the process of loading and unloading liquid chemicals to third party tanker trucks through an automated solution.

Business Challenge / Needs Definition:

P&G is looking for partners and solutions that can assist them in automating the process of connecting to third party tanker trucks, loading & unloading chemicals, and securing chemical payloads prior to exiting plant sites. There are 2 applications for this automation that will need to be considered:

  1. Automation of Ambrosia Piston Truck Hookup/Loading/Unloading/Unhooking, and
  2. Automation of Tanker Truck Hookup/Loading/Unloading/Unhooking:

Ambrosia Piston Trucks

Ambrosia is a high viscosity surfactant produced by the Cincinnati Chemicals Plant. Between 3-6 loads of ambrosia paste are shipped out of the plant each day. These trucks travel back and forth between the Cincinnati Chemicals Plant and the customer. This volume is expected to not only continue but increase. The truck used for ambrosia is equipped with an internal piston that assists in the loading and unloading of this material due to high viscosity.

Tanker Trucks

Many trucks come in and out of the Cincinnati Chemical Plants each day. On a typical day, 25 or more tanker trucks are received into the plant to be loaded or unloaded. Each of these trucks must have seals inspected and broken, then either hooked up for loading through the top manway of the tanker, or unloading through the rear chest, prior to being unhooked and sealed before leaving the plant site.

Specific Needs to be Met:

  1. An automated hookup system to minimize the amount of work needed to hookup and pump this trailer, with the goal of enabling this material to be entirely driver unloaded
  2. Solution must include safeguards to prevent damage to people or trucks
  3. Solution must take into account of viscosity changes based on weather/temperature
  4. Capabilities of the automated solution to insert booms required to fill specific materials
  5. Capabilities of the automated solution to open vents and attach hoses to reach fitting of trailers

Initial Areas of Interest for Scoping:

  1. Automated robotic solutions are being considered
  2. Additional technology applications that can provide viable means to address the challenge are encouraged
  3. Out-of-the-Box, proven solutions
  4. Custom built solutions should be considered
  5. Semi-automated solutions if, by doing so, optimizes the process for connecting, loading, and unloading trucks

The Ask:

P&G is looking for partners and solutions that can support the automation of tanker truck & piston tanker connection for loading / unloading of chemical payloads, and are available to execute a pilot in the United States. If you have ideas and supporting technologies that you believe can help deliver innovative solutions to the challenge highlighted above, we want to hear from you. Where there is a good fit, we are looking to drive agile in-market pilots with the goal of scaling successful solutions. All ideas and submissions will be fully reviewed.

Process Overview:

  • Complete the P&G Innovation Brief Response Form - see link above.
  • All responses will be reviewed, and you will be notified as to whether the response has been accepted for further consideration.
  • If accepted, you will be contacted by a Pilot44 Research Analyst to schedule a meeting to present additional detail on your company and solution as well as, where applicable, to provide a demonstration of your product.
  • If contacted for next steps, additional detail on the client needs will be provided during at that time, as well as additional information on the review, selection and reward process.
  • You can send any specific questions to submissions@pilot44.com
  • Process Overview:
    • Complete the P&G Innovation Brief Response Form - see link above.
    • All responses will be reviewed, and you will be notified as to whether the response has been accepted for further consideration.
    • If accepted, you will be contacted by a Pilot44 Research Analyst to schedule a meeting to present additional detail on your company and solution as well as, where applicable, to provide a demonstration of your product.
    • If contacted for next steps, additional detail on the client needs will be provided during at that time, as well as additional information on the review, selection and reward process.
    • You can send any specific questions to submissions@pilot44.com

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