Successful cooperation between MASCHINEN- UND BEHÄLTERBAU GmbH and core sensing GmbH: Thanks to a cloud-capable sensor system, the safety of compressed air tanks is increased, leakages and inefficiencies are made visible and thus a significant contribution is made to more resource efficiency in production.
Cloud-enabled compressed air monitoring system optimizes safety and resource efficiency
Compressed air systems are an integral part of almost every manufacturing industry. Especially in times of rising energy prices and resource efficiency, energy-intensive consumers are being scrutinized more closely. This is because energy-intensive compressors, compressed air storage and piping systems are needed to provide compressed air. And it is precisely there that inefficiencies, increased maintenance requirements and leakages can occur.
In cooperation with MASCHINEN- UND BEHÄLTERBAU GMBH, one of the leading manufacturers of pressure vessels, core sensing has developed a cloud-enabled compressed air monitoring system designed to meet the needs of safety- and energy-conscious plant operators. The sensor system is based on our latest measurement amplifier generation coreMOBILE and the sensor platform coreCLOUD and addresses in particular two aspects that are relevant for every operator of air pressure systems. The sensor system addresses two aspects in particular that are relevant for every operator of air pressure systems:
Increasing plant efficiency and conserving resources
Anyone who has ever walked through a production facility after Friday afternoon knows that it is not a place of silence and contemplation. This is because many consumers still require compressed air even when switched off, while elsewhere the whistling noises are escaping from leaks in the line. To a certain extent, however, this is normal and, in fact, leaks can never be completely avoided within economically reasonable limits. For most operators, their compressed air system is often a black box, where all that is known is how much is put in and ends up disappearing into thin air. However, what proportion of this is lost in the form of leakage, or which consumers are operating at what efficiency, is usually not known. By performing consumption analyses and detecting consumers as well as major leakages with SMART CONTROL, well-founded decisions can be made about remedial measures.
Predictive maintenance for the pressure tank and increased process reliability for sensitive consumers
Every time the compressed air tank is partially emptied and filled, it is subjected to high mechanical stress, especially at its weld seams. For safe operation of the compressed air tank, a certain minimum pressure should therefore always be maintained - even at night and on weekends when the system is not needed, in order to keep the number of load changes low.
It is therefore all the more important to keep an eye on both safety and resource efficiency. The SMART CONTROL monitoring system automatically records these load changes and thus (with appropriate handling of the vessel) the service life of the pressure vessel can be significantly extended and the maximum permitted inspection intervals can be exhausted. This is because too frequent load changes of the vessel cause the material to fatigue more quickly and the inspection intervals are shortened. This increases costs due to more frequent inspections by the ZÜS (Zugelassene Überwachungsstelle). In the case of sensitive machines, it can be monitored and documented whether and how the necessary minimum pressure is ensured - e.g. during load peaks or in shutdown operation. The mechanical load history and the number of load changes are logged and can be used as a basis for decisions on the next upcoming maintenance. In the long term, it is conceivable to adapt the maintenance requirement to the actual use, which can be made visible for the first time by such a sensor system.
The Plug&Play capable measuring system consists of a pressure sensor + IoT sensor node and can be easily mounted on existing or new pressure vessels via a quick coupling. The IoT sensor node is supplied via a standard USB-C power supply and can function as a stand-alone sensor node from this point on.
Rapid development thanks to modular IoT sensor platform from core sensing
For a quick implementation of the monitoring and optimization "Smart Control", MaBe decided to partner with core sensing. For MaBe, this has the advantage of building on an existing system and thus significantly reducing the development time.
The main development activities consist of the following building blocks:
- Adaptation of the existing LTE-capable hardware to the requirements in the area of compressed air supply (pressure sensors, connections)
- Connection to housing
- Cloud dashboard and app with individual functions, for example to perform reference measurements for leakage determination.
- Perform pilot measurements and derive algorithms and rules that are incorporated into the software.
In addition, core sensing actively supports the derivation of market requirements, the technical and sales-related market launch and product promotion. Only with direct market feedback can the product be further developed and made intuitively usable. After all, this close cooperation only pays off for both partners when the market accepts the product.
