INDUSTRY 4.0/SMART FACTORIES
DELIVERING VALUABLE DIGITAL INSIGHTS A
s the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 make the transition from buzzwords to business as usual, more and more companies are realising the incredible power of data. This is certainly true of compressed air users but, in order for operators to take full advantage of the potential of Industry 4.0, it is vital to stop locking this data behind proprietary standards and connectivity. Marius Breusers, aftermarket product manager at CompAir, explains. Generating compressed air accounts for 10 per cent of total energy costs in industry, so ensuring wastage is kept to a minimum should be a key concern. And with industry averages suggesting energy costs account for more than 80 per cent of the total cost of ownership of a compressor, any initiatives that can help companies identify inefficiencies and assist with performance optimisation, leak reduction and practical air management processes should be welcomed. Industry 4.0 and the IoT are, without doubt, the greatest opportunities available today to help organisations work smarter.
Industry 4.0 and data analytics can help operators to understand how efficiently a compressor is running, and whether any improvements can be made. These insights will not only help highlight any potential issues now, but also enable operators to forecast any potential future problems, based on deteriorating machine performance. Predictive maintenance models based on real-time data can be established to help reduce energy consumption, improve process efficiencies and limit any risks.
OPENING UP INDUSTRY One consideration to bear in mind is that
businesses, over the years and various product lifecycles, will have purchased from lots of different brands. Indeed, even if a site is outfitted with identical equipment right now, there’s no guarantee that they won’t switch up suppliers in the future. In order to easily and efficiently connect with IoT technology, all of these machines should ideally be producing data that comes in the same format and complies with the same standards, regardless of which company supplied them. Essentially, they should all be speaking the same language. However, as things stand, too many systems out there running on proprietary protocols and standards. This locks up their data in a way that makes it awkward and inconvenient to process, limiting the ways that the machines can interact with IoT technologies.
The move from closed, proprietary products to open ones is a big challenge for Industry 4.0. Ultimately, the compressed air industry needs open and secure IoT analytics support to help them realise the true value of Industry 4.0.
A NEW ICONN
To meet this need, CompAir has developed its digital platform, iConn. A cloud-based, air management platform, iConn has been developed to deliver advanced analytics, enabling operators to stay in control of their compressed air installation at all times. The system provides historic, real-time, predictive and cognitive analytics, allowing users to rectify potential issues before they happen.
This can help provide tangible benefits to a business’ bottom line, with real-time monitoring, alarms and warnings to reduce the risk of
22 MARCH 2021 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
downtime. The cloud-based system means remote sites can be easily monitored, and compressor performance can be optimised with machine parameters and trend analysis over time. Crucially, iConn is also an open platform, supporting ancillary and compressed air products from other brands. iConn can help provide a platform that delivers truly meaningful compressed air insights, no matter who the manufacturer is. This is what businesses want and need – a platform that can work with multiple compressor installations. For this reason, iConn is something of a game changer for the compressed air industry, helping users to easily improve operational efficiencies considerably.
REALISING POTENTIAL UK industry currently uses over 20TWh of electricity every year to compress air – equivalent to the output of four power stations and over 8.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. As a result, it’s no surprise high-quality energy and performance at a cost-effective price continues to be a key consideration for all businesses.
Industry 4.0’s ability to drive companies to share and analyse data every step of the way, then, is creating a real opportunity for compressed air users to consider how data can improve performance and help identify any inefficiencies. For those seeking a smart manufacturing strategy, this is the most valuable means of evaluating compressed air generation yet available on the market, and iConn helps businesses to do this quickly and easily.
CompAir
www.compair.com/en-gb/com- pressor-service/iconn
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
