Compressor control with tomorrow’s technology, today

30 October, 2015

Incorporating a number of important features, including the capability to embrace the future technological benefits of Industry 4.0, the SAM-2 is said to provide a valuable tool to assist complete system maintenance and reliability.

HPC comments that SAM-2 optimises the compressed air system pressure (a 1 bar reduction in pressure can equate to a 6 per cent energy saving), automatically adjusting compressed air delivery to accommodate fluctuating air demand and optimising system efficiency through constant analysis of the relationship between control losses, switching losses and pressure flexibility.

The company adds that the SAM-2 will also enable customers to benefit from planned future upgrades and services such as predictive maintenance, so it has the potential not only to boost operational reliability and efficiency, but also significantly reduce energy costs further.

Industry 4.0

HPC remarks that Industry 4.0, or the ‘Internet of Things,’ has the potential to be a far-reaching revolution in production and the new Sigma Air Manager 2 makes this level of integrated control possible – for example, the ability to make predictions far in advance, network components and exploit much larger data volumes than ever before, while also ensuring significant energy cost savings and delivering a reliable, consistent and efficient compressed air supply.

The ability to ensure the best possible compressed air pressure quality, tailored to specific needs is vital in many compressed air applications and this is largely made possible by the SAM-2’s advanced 3-D Control. This takes into account other factors, apart from switching losses (start/stop) that influence compressed air system energy efficiency. These include control losses (idling and frequency conversion) and pressure flexibility (average increase above required pressure). This innovative control strategy predictively calculates the optimum achievable configuration and adjusts the connected components accordingly, all based on the specific pressure required by the user.

SAM-2 supports operation in 30 languages, while the high quality, easy-to-use 12-inch colour touchscreen shows at a glance whether the station is operating in the ‘green zone’ from an energy management perspective. Operating status, pressure history, free air delivery, power consumption, as well as maintenance and any error messages can be easily displayed and analysed, both in real-time and retrospectively. Using a PC and network connection, this data can be accessed conveniently from anywhere, not just at the machine itself. This not only provides users with peace of mind, but also lays the foundation for predictive maintenance and enables energy management in accordance with ISO 50001.

Closed and secure network

The far-reaching benefits of the SAM-2 are expanded even further when users also take advantage of HPC Kaeser’s Sigma Network. Based on Ethernet technology, the Sigma Network is a closed and secure network that has been specially developed to support optimal monitoring and coordinated control of compressed air stations.

SAM-2 offers additional powerful features which enable remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance. For example, maintenance and error messages can be immediately sent via e-mail to a pre-set personal address and the remote diagnostics option allows for preventative maintenance and service based on actual use. Both of these elements increase compressed air availability and reliability and also help keep life-cycle costs to an absolute minimum.

www.hpccompressors.co.uk