Introduction:
Reducing costs and improving quality are key drivers for any business. RMS applications typically target these aspects of our customers operations and a recent project with here in the UK was no exception.
Following an initial enquiry it was clear that a custom selection of RMS hardware and setup would be required, however this was no reason not to proceed with a bespoke solution.
Customer Process:
The project was based around a wider roll out of a new technology in the manufacturing process of our customer. The process required the use of special epoxy adhesives that themselves require very strict ambient and surface temperature conditions. Outside these conditions the bonding process would not be adequate. As such monitoring was critical to ensure and prove conditions were being met during production.
Some Chemistry:
Epoxy resins a reactive pre-polymers, they have the potential to react and cross link. It is this cross linking that when triggered turns a stable liquid into a thermo-setting polymer. The set polymer typically has extremely high thermal and chemical resistance. Epoxy resins are commonly used as adhesives and coatings in many industries such as carbon fibre and ship building.
What are the monitoring requirements
Ambient conditions and surface temperatures are critical for the client procedure. The production area was therefore independently controlled by a specific HVAC system. Previous manual checks lacked quantitative detail and were costly to implement
The Solution – RMS Continuous Monitoring
RMS provided the perfect solution. Using an RMS-LOG-868 high accuracy humidity and temperature loggers combined with an economical RMS-MLOG mini-loggers all measurements could be made in real time. A custom magnetic surface temperature probe was utilised so the customer could accurately measure the surface temperature as per their quality requirements. Live ambient dew point was calculated via RMS and then this value was compared with surface temperature using a simple arithmetic calculation. Thus a live trace of surface temperature vs dew point temperature was provided giving a clear indication whether there would be a risk of surface condensation. Parameters were configured with warning and alarm limits linked to emails, SMS and telephone alerts as well as clear visual displays via tablets and PCs.
As such the customer could be confident that should conditions not be favourable they would know, in addition for QA a full record of all conditions was easily available with automated reporting and full audit trail.
Simplifying Connectivity
Cconnectivity was an issue on such a large site. No network access was available at all. A 4G solution resolved these and provided data direct connectivity at all times through out the site.
Fully mobile kit was created requiring only a mains power supply for operation. Wireless loggers could then be moved and placed as required always in range of the 4G communications kit.
Even if connectivity or power was lost for any reason, all the wireless loggers would continue logging on their 3 year batteries and maintain a 1 month record that automatically synchronised back to the RMS software once 4G connection was restored.
The entire system was setup and configured exactly as required from the Rotronic office, including device pairing and software configuration allowing the client to log on from their offices and make comments and changes. A subsequent visit to site met with no technical issues or surprises. This also kept service costs to a minimum for an initial proof of concept project.
4G connectivity reducing need for on-site infrastructure and IT issues.
This is just one example of an RMS implementation. With a range of cloud and on premises software along with wireless and wired devices if you have a monitoring application we are confident we can find a solution to meet your needs and budget.
To find out more about our range of monitoring solutions and instruments contact us or visit http://www.rotronic.com/rms
Dr Jeremy Wingate
Rotronic
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