FEATURE COMPRESSED AIR
Connected compressors and Industry 4.0: FROM THEN TO NOW
by Stef Lievens Business line manager, Atlas Copco Compressors UK T
he term Internet of Things (IoT) has become ubiquitous in recent years
and is now seemingly being applied to any instance in which a device is connected. However, it is arguably the manufacturing sector that stands to benefit the most, with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the introduction of sophisticated robotics in the workplace and smart components that communicate their own assembly instructions to the production line. Companies are now moving beyond talking about the theory behind Industry 4.0 and wanting to know how it can and will be applied in practice. As one of the world’s major industrial energy sources, which is estimated to account for 10 per cent of all energy used in industry globally, compressed air will undoubtedly have a significant role to play in shaping the smart factories of the future. The concept of adding intelligence to air compressors by connecting and enabling them to communicate over the Internet is not new. In fact, today, Atlas Copco has over 100,000 connected compressors operating at more than 35,000 customer sites in the world. These compressors are delivering in excess of 150 data measurements per second. This is proving vital, on one hand in enabling data mining engineers to intelligently analyse performance patterns and, on the other, by helping design teams to apply the data in the development of new and more customer-suited compressed air technologies.
For some time now, smart controller technology has enabled plant managers to keep track of how their compressor is performing via MODBUS or PROFIBUS Internet connections to a central plant management system. These types of control system are effectively the ‘brain’ of a compressor: collecting data via built-in sensors, processing it and then delivering plant managers with an overview of how their compressed air system is performing. More recent advances have enabled
compressor controllers to be connected to mobile devices, tablets and smartphones through systems such as SMARTLINK, which facilitates remote monitoring over a secure network. The end result is that operators can keep track of key parameters including pressure, flow, motor and dryer speeds and then make adjustments when necessary via a compressor’s manual interface. This can help plant managers improve efficiency and save energy. The next conceivable step is to take
this final, manual stage out of the hands of compressor operators by enabling air compressors themselves to track and make process improvements autonomously as independent cyber physical systems. Research is being undertaken to develop this type of technology in the future. However, for the time being remote condition monitoring is the most tangible example of a fledgling IoT technology that is already having an impact in the compressed air industry. Indeed, there have been such major
leaps forward in this area that is has led to the creation of a new sub-set of the Industry 4.0 movement known as Preventative Maintenance 4.0. In the realm of compressed air technology, the major development in preventative maintenance has been the introduction of technology that combines hardware with customisable data monitoring software. This enables maintenance and service
engineers to remotely track indicators such as specific energy and compressed air pressure calculations so that immediate improvements can be made when needed. During this process data is gathered, compared and analysed, then, when required, warnings can be sent out in order to prevent downtime and to allow local service providers to plan and prepare their interventions. Knowing the status of compressed air equipment at all times is the surest way for plant managers and maintenance professionals to spot any developing problems, uncover potential energy savings and achieve maximum compressor and production line uptime. The application of connectivity and
Left: An example of the SMARTLINK dashboard from Atlas Copco
remote condition monitoring technology within compressed air equipment is neither new nor incompatible; there is great scope for further adoption and opportunities for the IoT to enhance best practice in compressed air operations. This could ultimately lead to a situation where compressed air systems operate independently as cyber physical systems in their own right, making autonomous adjustments to pressure and flow to facilitate process improvements. This will not eliminate the role of the compressor operator, however; they will remain to be the interface between compressors and the wider smart factory environment, which is illustrated by the benefit that remote data monitoring equipment is having now in facilitating preventative maintenance and improving uptime.
Atlas Copco 14 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
www.atlascopco.com / FACTORYEQUIPMENT
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