Industrial
Top tools and technologies for improving operational effi ciencies
Rising energy costs and more stringent legislation guiding sustainable practices is spurring companies to re-evaluate processes and seek new tools and technologies to reduce waste and overcome challenges in today’s industrial environments. Here, Fluke, a global technology specialist in the manufacture of electronic test and measurement tools and software, shares the top three trends that can help to enhance operational effi ciency
C
hallenges posed to industrial operations managers by the pandemic have now been superseded by the rising cost of energy, and the need to deliver
on net zero ambitions. As the price of energy continues to increase, the need to reduce costs and deliver on shared sustainability goals intensifi es for small-to-medium sized enterprises through to large corporations. Paul Feenstra, vice president Fluke EMEA, said: “We are working together with our customers to help drive new initiatives to improve operations, increase effi ciencies, and take reliability to a new level in the 21st century.”
Reducing energy costs with upgraded technology and cloud- based data monitoring
Approximately 90 per cent of all companies use compressed air in some aspect of their operation, such that it is often referred to as the fourth utility. Recent developments in industrial acoustic imaging technology have enabled the fast identifi cation of leaks in compressed air systems used in industrial and manufacturing environments. Fluke’s ii900 Industrial Acoustic Imager features an array of microphones, providing visualisation of sound fi eld within an expanded fi eld-of-view and on a distance of up
and make specifi c recommendations for equipment maintenance.
to 70 metres, that enables maintenance teams to visually locate air leaks very quickly and accurately in compressed air systems. Beyond the improvement of rugged handheld tools, monitoring practices are also evolving with the use of internet-connected instruments. Analysis and data are captured on a cloud platform allowing operators to monitor the key performance indicators (KPI) of compressed air systems including energy, electric power, fl ow, pressure and leakage fl ow. Fluke’s LeakQ Report Generator creates detailed air compressor leak reports from images captured by Fluke ii900 or the ii910 Precision Acoustic Imager and calculates the energy savings once the leaks are repaired.
Using data to deliver predictive maintenance
For generations, maintenance professionals have used preventive maintenance to avoid equipment failures and turned to reactive maintenance when assets failed. With the emergence of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies, maintenance professionals can now connect tools, software and sensors to collect, store and analyse multiple data sources in one place. The pandemic accelerated investment in technologies that make remote monitoring possible. The technology enables reliability and maintenance teams to meet up-time requirements no matter how fl uid on-site staffi ng might be. The trend for remote monitoring will continue, with small scale operations turning to remote condition monitoring services. Artifi cial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have held the promise to quickly identify trends and adapt quickly to changing operational conditions. Software armed with prescriptive analytics is fi nally meeting up with modern condition monitoring hardware to spark a revolution in the use of AI/ML in maintenance operations.
Now, a new race has emerged to pair that hardware and software with ML and AI algorithms. Companies, like Fluke, are working to combine technologies so that the software can identify trends, recognise data patterns
20 September 2022 Components in Electronics
Digital SI speeds integration of critical equipment measurements The accelerated uptake in digital measurement solutions for industrial applications can save time and money, whilst facilitating a shift towards predictive maintenance for systems. Although modern measurement digital devices are typically not fi t-and-forget solutions, the increase in digital measurement solutions paves the way for verifi cation technologies that can help to reduce the maintenance burden on personnel, without compromising on accuracy or reliability.
Digital SI (International System of Units), an initiative created as part of the industry 4.0 revolution, relates to the creation of a globalised system to transmit calibration certifi cation information electronically. This is critical as the exchange of data and the data itself are the basis of highly automated industrial processes. The system ensures measurement traceability from all calibrations performed and enables sharing of information in a paperless manner. This speeds up the integration of measurements that can be performed using critical test equipment as part of an integrated factory enhancing maintenance effi ciency and plant effi ciency. “The tests we have faced within the last 24-36 months is delivering a growing awareness among top management that fundamental changes in maintenance best practice need to occur in order to protect the bottom line,” said Paul Feenstra. “This is music to the ears of progressive industrial managers who have been advocating for investments to improve effi ciencies and reliability of systems. Now is the time to make the case to adopt innovative technologies, tools, and processes to ensure your company maintains a competitive edge and thrives in this new environment.”
https://www.fl
uke.com/en
www.cieonline.co.uk
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