Monitoring & metering autonomous
gas detection in unmanned surveillance robots
ExRobotics’ ExR-1 robot incorporates Falco for the detection of VOCs in flammable and explosive environments
regular inspection work, so deploying Ex certified robots (ATEX and IECEx Zone 1) incorporated with the ION Science Falco, can have a significant positive impact on safety by minimising worker field trips, which in turn reduces operating costs. ION Science’s Falco VOC (volatile organic
T
compound) monitor boasts fast response times and several innovative design features. The instrument’s typhoon technology prevents condensation forming on the sensor making it ideal for use in high humidity and harsh weather conditions.
hroughout unmanned facilities within the oil and gas industry, a human presence is generally still needed for
Ian Peerless, operations director at
ExRobotics comments: “Our robots are used in the oil and gas industry mainly for first response, fugitive emission and preventative maintenance. The introduction of more stringent fugitive emission regulations and the subsequent opening up of new markets prompted the need for a fixed gas detection instrument that could be incorporated into our remotely operated ExR-1 robot. “The ION Science Falco VOC monitor was
recommended by a significant player in the oil industry who conducted extensive performance tests and trials at a large refinery where the Falco came out on top. When
ExRobotics did testing of its own, we also found the detector to be robust and reliable.” The ExRobotics ExR-1 robot is equipped with
cameras for visual inspection, microphones for sound monitoring and the Falco gas detector for leak detection. It sends an alarm to the control room if a leak is detected. ExR-1 with Falco navigates autonomously
through installations and find its way back to its docking station to recharge. This means that inspectors and operators can reduce their visits to remote or hazardous locations, greatly improving their work safety.
ION Science
www.ionscience.com making qa easier for medical device manufacturers
they have a quality management system in place: they must also demonstrate that the medical devices they produce meet the requirements for safety and quality. Their further obligations include providing proof of quality assurance for all their machines, tools and the entire manufacturing process. And as yet another requirement, medical device manufacturers have to verify their suppliers’ quality management systems. In extreme cases, inadequate quality assurance during the production
P
of medical devices can put people in harm’s way or even lead to loss of life. Companies that place medical devices on the market are fully liable in the event that their products fail to function perfectly. This is partly why the industry is subject to such strict regulation. Producers of medical devices as well as plant and machinery manufacturers operating in the medtech and pharmaceutical sectors are confronted with huge challenges – especially when it comes to integrating process monitoring systems into automated production and packing processes. To help customers overcome the obstacles they face, Kistler has joined
forces with partners in the mechanical engineering and plant construction industry to develop the maXYmos TL ML process monitoring system, in strict compliance with the guidelines of the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and its Medical Device Reporting (MDR) regulations. Kistler has developed this new solution on the basis of its maXYmos
TL (Top Level) system. Like all the systems in the maXYmos family, maXYmos TL visualises process profiles and offers an extensive range of interfaces for connecting sensors. The system is integrated directly
32
into the production line to monitor and evaluate the quality of any given manufacturing step – and therefore of the whole product – on the basis of a curve. With the help of evaluation objects (EOs), users can adapt the curve evaluation to the specific monitoring task. For instance, the tolerances defined in the process validation can be used for this purpose. Based on this specification, the system then decides whether each workpiece is good or bad. Thanks to the new system, producers of medical devices as well as machinery and plant manufacturers operating in the medtech and pharmaceutical sectors will now find it much easier to validate their production processes. In the best-case scenario, 100 per cent inspection of a manufacturing step can completely eliminate the need for mandatory process validation in production.
Kistler
www.kistler.com August 2020 Instrumentation Monthly
rocess monitoring systems play an increasingly important part in quality assurance on automated production lines for medtech devices. Medical device manufacturers not only have to prove that
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74
