INDUSTRY 4.0 & IOT We use our smartphones to communicate with others, check the weather, book plane tickets, track our steps and even switch on the alarm at home. Endress+Hauser believes that the convenience and simplicity that digitalisation provides in our private lives can be implemented into the process industry as well. The cloud-based IIoT ecosystem Netilion forms the basis for new digital services
Eye-openers for the process industry
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ndress+Hauser has developed an industrial internet of things (IIoT) ecosystem called Netilion. The Netilion web-based applications are at the heart of the Netilion Services and enable all field instruments and their data to be accessible from almost anywhere. The apps help users carry out tasks such as capturing and managing all instruments in a plant, organising device documentation, or monitoring the instrument status and responding appropriately in case of malfunction.
Preston Reddy, product manager: Service & Digital Solutions at Endress+Hauser
With Netilion, there is a complete overview of the installed base at hand. Digital twins of the actual field instruments, which are often difficult to access, are made available in the cloud where they can be seen from various devices – office PC, smartphone or tablet. Prior to the service call, the technician already has the troubleshooting guide at hand. “The plant operator can save costs with the knowledge generated by the Netilion system, such as streamlined maintenance and higher system availability,” says Preston Reddy at Endress+Hauser. Netilion also opens up access to new applications beyond conventional process engineering. Endress+Hauser offers cost-effective packages that include IIoT-enabled measuring technology and digital applications that are designed to assist with simple measurement tasks. The complete preconfigured packages contain the sensors – including installation material and the transmitter – plus a subscription to the digital service. Among the examples are the Netilion Smart Systems for analysing bodies of water, which are currently in pilot
operation in two communities in Switzerland. In Giebenach, near Basel, Netilion is being used to monitor a salmon farm. In the past, the water was checked intermittently but now, after the installation of Netilion, it is possible to continuously monitor the oxygen, nitrate and ammonia values. The community of Baltschiederbach uses a similar system to monitor the quality of the water in a stream by measuring turbidity, conductivity and pH. Employees have constant access to the measurement values on their smartphones. If the values deviate from the target, the system sends out an alarm notification. In addition, it provides information regarding the status of the sensor. “The smart system gives us a sense of security in our daily activities,” says Daniel Zopfi, who oversees the fishery. “We’re always aware of the breeding conditions and can improve them with targeted interventions.” Further future developments include the Netilion Predict app, which is currently under development. Netilion Predict is engineered to continuously analyse process and instrument parameters, to optimise calibration and maintenance intervals, and to increase plant availability. “Our goal is to be able to tell the plant operator, in simple language, how much longer the measurement point is expected to operate reliably,” Reddy adds. M AY / J U NE 2021
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