Tobias Friedrich

Epple Druckfarben & Innomat: Digital Batch Traceability with Kalisto IoT

Digitizing Batch Traceability: How Epple Druckfarben and Innomat Future-Proof Production This episode takes a deep dive into a real-world project from the chemical industry – specifically, the digital transformation of batch traceability at Epple Druckfarben, a family-owned company with over 150 years of history. In partnership with IoT specialist Innomat Automation AG, they launched a central digitalization initiative that goes far beyond off-the-shelf solutions. The challenge: Previously, batch traceability at Epple – from raw materials to intermediates and finished goods – was partly manual, relying on paper and Excel. Investigating deviations or preparing for audits was time-consuming, error-prone, and lacked scalability. To make things worse, inconsistent weighing systems and siloed interfaces limited effective data use. The solution: Using Kalisto IoT by Innomat, a unified, highly integrated solution was implemented: existing dosing systems and manual workstations were connected via custom-built interfaces. Weighing data is now automatically recorded, validated, and reported in real time to the cloud-based ERP (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central). A standout feature: even batch splits and multi-source mixing processes are digitally documented end-to-end. The result: A seamless data flow, consistent user interfaces, improved process reliability – and a strong foundation for future IoT use cases like status tracking and automated monitoring. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to turn digitalization into real-world value – whether in chemical production, packaging, or any high-compliance industry.