As a global specialty materials company Eastman Chemical Company produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA. With over 14,000 employees in more than 100 countries, Eastman has a strong commitment to developing groundbreaking technologies, leading business models, and sustainable materials. We here at Exloc are very proud that Eastman chose to work with us for their hazardous area barcode scanning requirements and we were able to provide a great solution from our close partner i.safe MOBILE.

One of Eastman‘s major initiatives was to improve safety within the laboratories by using a third-party application to inventory and verify that chemicals are being consumed and stored in the correct locations through barcode scanning.

The laboratories contain hazardous and flammable chemicals, and there are hazardous and electrical classified locations that require intrinsically safe devices (C1D1 and 2 areas). It was essential to select and move forward with a robust, suitably certified barcode scanner for the hardware solution to provide real-time tracking of the inventory, a secure connection to the internal Wi-Fi network, and ease of use.

In the first stage Eastman evaluated several hardware solutions and selected the IS530.1 and IS-TH1xx.1 barcode scanner from i.safe MOBILE. Through the evaluation and review phase, the company was able to verify that the devices carried the required C1D1 intrinsically safe certification and ran the chosen chemical inventory control application without any issues. The IS530.1 smartphone also reliably and securely connected to the site Wi-Fi network.

The i.safe MOBILE devices are used in laboratory settings or storage areas, where the scanning distance required may be as close as 7,6 cm / 3 inches to as much as 1,2 m / 4 feet. The distances in solvent storage areas may range from 15 cm / 6 inches to as much as 1,8 m / 6 feet. In the polymers lab, distances can be up to 6 m / 20 feet. The IS-TH1xx.1 barcode scanner is the most frequently used feature/application in this area.

Eastman Chemical Company worked closely with i.safe MOBILE‘s US distributor, Exloc Instruments, to implement the devices. Eastman was assisted in the approval process of the devices and verified that the i.safe MOBILE devices were suitable for its requirements. The company has a long-standing business relationship with i.safe MOBILE and Exloc Instruments and the devices met the requirements for its long-term chemical inventory process.

The implementation of the devices was carried out by identifying the requirements within the chemical inventory project scope and funding, and the existing vendor (Exloc) was verified. Eastman worked with Exloc to complete ordering and implementation processes. The installation of the units could be carried out quickly and without any problems.

Eastman already uses the IS530.1 smartphone and IS930.1 Android tablet from i.safe MOBILE for other purposes.  Still, this was the first application of the devices within the laboratories. Eastman has special requirements for the devices regarding ex-zone certifications and security,  and the intrinsically safe C1D1 certification is essential for hazardous and electrical classified locations. Eastman particularly appreciates the user-friendliness of the i.safe  MOBILE devices. All specifications for the devices are met to the fullest satisfaction.

Eastman Chemical Company selected i.safe MOBILE‘s IS530.1 and the IS-THxx.1 barcode scanner devices for its chemical inventory control application due to their intrinsically safe C1D1 certification and proven compatibility with the chosen software application. The company has a strong commitment to safety, and the i.safe MOBILE devices have been an essential part of ensuring safety within the laboratories. A third phase of the project is planned for international sites, following a successful roll-out at the Eastman TN headquarters. If needed, C1D1 or C1D2 units will also be required for new labs in the future.