Smart Metering

Single-machine solution

As mentioned some time ago (refer to "Smart Metering" in Green IT ...), Metering.Network is used comprehensively to record the overall energy consumption of a given plant from within the switching cabinet. However, if you want to put your focus on the complex behavior of a single machine, then the versatile Ethernet Terminal I am about to introduce is the right device for you. It can be applied directly to an S0 supply meter of any machine on the factory floor and does not only monitor machine energy consumption, but also enables you, above all, to correlate machine energy consumption with PDA (Production Data Acquisition) and MDA (Machine Data Acquisition) data. In the following I would like to highlight just one of a whole range of possible applications this amazing tool has.

Rising energy costs

In times of skyrocketing energy prices rising by 20 to 30 to 50% and more … energy is becoming one of the most salient cost factors to dictate the prices of machine-manufactured goods and thus to redefine the profitability margin of production processes, methods or individual machines. Above all, one question looms up in the minds of production, project, and sales managers alike: How much does it cost to produce a specified article? How much do I have to add to the price to compensate for the rising energy costs? How, where and when can I save energy on the machines to profitably maintain a given price level?

Correlation with PDA data

This, of course, can only be answered by measuring the power consumption of a given machine (or a number of machines of a production line) and correlating it with the PDA (Production Data Acquisition) data, especially with regard to piece numbers per batch/shift/order, etc. But how? Manually? By individual readings?

Monitoring energy costs online

To reach the level of transparency and flexibility you need in order to adapt to the unpredictably rising energy costs, a more systematic, continuous, and automated online approach is required, especially wherever large-scale production lines with a great number of manufacturing procedures and steps are involved.

Implementation

The Ethernet Terminal is just the device you need to do the job efficiently with low costs and incredibly high returns. All you have to do is attach the Ethernet Terminal to an S0 supply meter on the machine or device you want to monitor and connect it to a PC/terminal via Ethernet. This enables you to record and monitor order-specific energy utility consumption data, evaluate it statistically with the ipcas software "FAMOUS Base" and relay the respective data to your PC/terminal for further analysis and correlation with piece-, batch-, line- and shift-specific PDA data.

For each application - the right solution

Get the aid you need to adapt your price calculation to a fast changing world of rising utility prices and global environmental pressures! If you want to be able to calculate energy consumption as a variable price determining parameter automatically as an integral part of your online accounting system, then the Ethernet Terminal is the right device for you. For more specifics please visit the Ethernet Terminal website.

Alternatively, if your focus is primarily on how to reduce energy consumption - whether comprehensively on a factory level or in-depth on a machine level - without necessarily wanting to link this information to any other acquisition data, then the Metering.Network is the right solution for you. In that case, supply yourself with the smart metering tool you need to pinpoint peak loads and high consumption areas at the individual machine and production line level. Put yourself in the position to proactively eliminate power hogs in your production lines! For more specifics please visit the Metering.Networkwebsite.

Whatever your case may be, the ipcas hardware and software portfolio is able to provide you with an incredible range of applications and industrial solutions some of which I have already presented and many more are to come ... By the way in case I haven't mentioned it yet, the ipcas system house also specializes in customizing and made-to-order projects!

IT's key opportunities …

More and more IT companies are embarking on the trend to achieve best practices with respect to sustainable development and environmental protection these days. Trade fairs and expositions are increasingly latching on to environmental issues (e.g. CeBIT in Hanover Germany with its green IT guide) or even focussing on how to implement sustainable development (e.g. London's Green IT 08 Conference in 7-8 May). Battelle names Green IT as one of its top 10 green trends until 2020!

... to engineer sustainable development

The hazards of toxic wastes immediately spring to mind in this context, but should not obscure our view for the vast opportunities involved in advanced computing, control and networking technologies to actually engineer environmentally compatible and sustainable development (See smart metering below).

In the following I would like to provide a thumbnail sketch of the key role IT is about to play in dealing with environmental issues. In doing so I am going to use ipcas products and developments as illustrative examples. This perspective is also apt to highlight ipcas's green profile and yet another underlying aspect of the meaning of "Industrial Solutions", namely also to help businesses and companies to meet ecological requirements and enhance their TQM profile.

We are exhibiting at

In case you didn’t already know, ipcas is exhibiting again at the Embedded World 2008 trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, from 26 to 28 February 2008. Come and join us at Hall 9, Stand 567. We’d be delighted!

You will find us here:



HALL 9, STAND 567

Embedded World is regarded as the world's largest exhibition of its kind, and is treated as the place to meet by the international embedded community. “Welcome to a smarter world!” is this year's exhibition motto.

Embedded technology is used everywhere - whether in car, data, or telecommunication systems, industrial or consumer electronics, military or aerospace systems. Embedded PCs are being sold worldwide with great success. Over the next few years, strong growth is forecasted particularly in the area of small, compact box and panel PCs with embedded operating systems and without rotating parts. (Trade fair’s Embedded News)

We are proud to announce that ipcas has added at least 2 new products to its portfolio!

LINUX Box LB2 - the intelligent IO Ethernet solution

One of ipcas’ new embedded PC models on display this year is the LINUX Box LB2.

Among its most salient features is its outstanding versatility: Due to numerous integrated interfaces, the LINUX Box LB2 can be used for an astounding number of different applications such as converting, recording, alerting, counting, etc. in a great many of areas:

• MDA/PDA (machine data acquisition / production data acquisition)
• Industrial automation
• Telemetry
• Interface conversion
• Building automation
• Data/Event logger
• Telecontrol device
• … and more …

The IO modules can be populated customer-specifically, thus providing you with large scope to develop your own ideas and solutions. Moreover, it is immediately ready to run (no refitting, no installation drivers, and a cinch to configure!) and, what's more, it's highly cost-effective!

For details view LINUX Box LB2

Metering.Network - the universal online utility management system

Another new ipcas product highlight is the Metering.Network.

This universal measuring device is ideal for the effective, via Ethernet recording, storage, and visualization of measuring data from electronic S0 supply meters (electric, gas, water, heating, etc. meters) in all areas of industrial, commercial, and private resource consumption.

Locating, compiling, analyzing, and evaluating the sources of consumption – which consumer/device consumes which amount at which times (peak loads) – is a crucial requirement for developing conservation plans or loading schedules. Therefore, thanks to Metering.Network, leading edge supply metering technology can be used to produce systematic cost-saving effects which will reduce your utility bills substantially!

For details view Metering.Network