The pressures on manufacturing companies and the demand for volume production continue to grow. These developing challenges make it even more imperative that machines run at full capacity to match demand.
It’s a tough ask for systems to operate at full capacity, with all the attendant issues of wear and tear on machines which can prove counterproductive where this leads to downtime. Downtime is estimated to cost the UK economy billions of GBP a year; ‘Downtime costs UK manufacturers £180bn a year’. A further key consideration is to ensure that there is no potential for product deterioration due to production inefficiencies.
These are just some of the many reasons why being proactive is vital in order to achieve long-term sustainability for you and your production site. The Internet of Things (IoT) can help you to monitor many of the key elements within your production facility. This is why CompAir has developed iConn. iConn allows you to take a more proactive stance in managing your compressed air systems and allows you to incorporate Predictive Maintenance (PM) routines into your production cycle.
The IoT journey
iConn is the first step in the IoT journey, starting with being reactive and preventing intervention from coming too late from the service teams. Attending a machine breakdown can be costly and time-consuming when there is no further relevant information for engineers to assess.
In the second step of the IoT journey, iConn networks all your compressors and sends selected data regularly to the machine operator. This data allows the operator to determine plant conditions on a continuous basis. Constant monitoring can reduce the requirement for intervention by service teams by indicating the need for precautionary steps and maintenance. Where input from the service teams is required, they are able to use the data on hand to determine the issue or problem via remote diagnosis.
This brings us to the third step in IoT; data analysis. Proactive maintenance begins at this point. By facilitating the collection of data, service teams can draw conclusions on topics such as machine run time and component wear, allowing them to calculate maintenance intervals accurately.
The core of the IoT journey
This leads us to the core of the IoT journey, namely optimisation. By analysing the actual run times of each machine, service teams can plan maintenance routines and replacement parts cost-effectively according to OEM specifications, ensuring you are getting the most from your capital investment.
CompAir real-time Industry 4.0 solutions deliver major benefits to compressed air users, allowing them to monitor critical components including compressors, filters, and dryers. By digitally networking these components, companies can minimise costs and increase system availability.
The savings yielded by networking also influence energy and service costs, whilst leading to greater process reliability and cost control. Data from Industry 4.0 solutions around wear, costs and quality allow for short term return on investments.
Data security
Industry 4.0 and iConn is an open platform supporting compressed air products and ancillaries from any brand. The system delivers meaningful insight that delivers gains, any which way you look at it.
iConn is a stand-alone device using 3G/Mobile networks only. There is no connectivity with customers’ networks or Wi-Fi, ensuring data integrity. iConn only collects machine data and will only use registered emails to receive notifications about system performance. No personal data is used, thereby removing any GDPR considerations.
Accessing CompAir iConn capabilities
The Ace Group is an authorised distributor for CompAir and has factory-trained engineers to look after your compressor system requirements. We help companies across the UK to achieve reduced costs and increased reliability based on our knowledge and expertise in this field.
So how will you benefit from iConn?
- Access to advanced remote analysis
- Easy evaluation of historic data
- Reduced risk of downtime
- Facilitates simple, proactive monitoring
- Maximises energy efficiency
- Optimises compressor performance
- Works to an open standard
- On-time maintenance schedules
This unique combination of high-performance features allows for precise production planning and capital investment protection.
Note: All new CompAir compressors are factory fitted with iConn