Clean air for clean products

Compressed air supply system was distributed over various sites and was no longer suited to the company’s modern production activities, and the old system was not equipped with any sensors at all.

It is crucial for the system that individual components featuring intelligent communication be installed and that the individual compressors should be equipped with industrial PC technology. This enables communication within the system for subsequent forwarding of data, for example, to a centralised management system, such as the Sigma Air Manager (SAM). This central system is then capable of automatically optimising the compressed air station’s performance based on the data collected and can also, based on the production situation, identify the volume of air that is actually required and control the system accordingly. This compressed air management system also serves as the interface for processing all data associated with the compressed air station. This includes, first of all, the operating data for all compressors, which in this instance are transferred to the centralised Sigma Air Manager system via Profibus DP. Additional data relate to faults, consumption behaviour, overall system efficiency and that of connected peripheral devices, such as dryers, condensate drains and treatment systems, as well as the data involved in monitoring the environmental conditions of the compressor station. The system does not just operate as a data collector, but if required, it can also transfer relevant data to an existing centralised control system – using standard interfaces for convenience. If the operator does not have a centralised control system, the Sigma Air Manager is able to display the data independently on a standard PC using a web browser since it features an integrated web server. Users can then access corresponding information regarding air consumption, energy consumption, running compressors, faults and costs. If the system needs to be switched remotely due to an emergency, this can also be performed via the Sigma Air Manager. To ensure optimum compressor station performance at all times, the system is also able to forward the data, via the internet, to the operator’s central data centre – in this case, Kaeser Kompressoren’s data centre. Sigma network ensures security Innovations such as the Sigma Network offer users additional peace of mind: a powerful and secure Ethernet-based network that enables optimal monitoring and efficient control of the compressed air station, as well as utilisation within an Industry 4.0 environment. Although this component has not yet been installed by Werner and Mertz, it can be retrofitted at any time. The system determines what it needs Kaeser’s central data centre therefore acts as the hub and dispatch point for all further activities. For instance, service activities are organised via a special service module. The international Kaeser Data Centre then forwards the data to the national service centres as appropriate. These centres can then coordinate emergency responses directly with local service technicians whose service vehicles are always equipped to deal with the issue at hand.

• [Efficiency Improvement - Production]
  Maximum availability of compressed air and efficiency with lowest possible life cycle costs.

• Energy saving, efficient, flexible and requires minimal maintenance