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12-07-2021
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The numbers tell the tale thanks to the sensors

If you are not sure about something, make sure to measure it! But how do we measure manufacturing processes? The answer is: with sensors! Rompa Group is a fond user of sensors of all different types and variations. In this week’s article we tell you more about the different types of sensors, for example smart sensors, and what the benefits are of receiving the data we get from these measurement instruments.
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Sensors we use for manufacturing

There are different types of sensors that can be added to our equipment but they all have the same function: gathering data. The different sensors for manufacturing are endless and all have specific purposes. Below we give you some types of the most used sensors and which are most effective for producing.
  • Temperature sensors collect information regarding temperature, this is a very commonly used sensor. There are also digital temperature sensors, these sensors provide more accurate data.
  • Measuring the combination of temperature and humidity is also necessary in some production cases. These combined sensors are a lot more complex but give a very accurate representation of both the temperature and humidity in a certain area.
  • Pressure sensors start to signal depending on the pressure that has been set.
  • Something important to measure in manufacturing is vacuum. Vacuum means the pressure is below atmospheric. The sensors used to measure the vacuum depend on a heated wire and have electrical resistance depending on the temperature. The vacuum switch triggers when the pressure increases.
  • Micro electro mechanical systems, also known as MEMS Sensors are used for automation. These sensors measure mechanical signals and convert them into electrical signals.
  • Torque sensors are a type of transducer. The definition of torque is a twisting force around an axis, this goes either clockwise or counterclockwise. The sensors used to measure torque collect data such as reaction, dynamic or rotary and convert them into a variable.

Digitalisation of our factories

Rompa Group is a worldwide producer and has many production sites around the globe. We have been preparing our locations for digitalisation as we are using more and more analytics and Internet of Things for our processes. We try to optimise performances of our production processes and for this, we use smart devices and sensors. These items are made to connect to the network to gather information. We are revolutionising our production sites and this is made possible thanks to smart sensors. Below we give you a couple of applications of smart sensors as we use them in the processes. First of all and most importantly, data collection. Big data has been implemented in many industries already. With smart sensors it collects data from different devices, systems and machines and makes it possible for those instruments to connect to each other. This gives us the possibility to monitor our equipment and the performance of our systems. The collected data generated by these sensors also allows us to analyse and compare it so we can improve if necessary. Another great benefit of the implementation of sensors is that it is providing us with notifications and updates about our equipment. For example, whether maintenance is necessary. We do not want equipment failure, with these sensors we can be on top of our maintenance and make sure our machinery is always up to date and taken care of. The smart sensors Rompa Group uses for this send us alerts and notify us for potential or upcoming maintenance. Besides the ability to collect data and use it to optimise our production process, this data is also very useful for reporting. Some items that we produce, for example pharmaceutical products, have specific regulations. We follow strict rules and obligations and we back this up with the data we collect through our sensors. Our smart sensors log the data and we customize the reports for certain parameters, such as humidity, running hours, temperature, etc. The demand of customers changes, sales might increase depending on a particular season or due to other circumstances. To keep inventory as low as possible we try to produce on customers demand. But we do need to know the consumer's demand, we are able to optimally predict this thanks to the data generated through sensors. This way we can be more responsive and scale our productions more accurately, which in the end is a lot more productive and efficient.

Automation and Industry 4.0

Our industrial sensors are becoming a key part of the automation of our production sites, with the fourth industrial revolution all machines will be connected. This is thanks to IoT but without sensors there would be no data to communicate. The Industry 4.0 vision will digitalise manufacturing as we know it. This transformation of manufacturing will connect people, processes, services, systems and big data. This creates an innovative industry and innovative ecosystems.

Contact us for more information

Would you like to know more about the sensors we use? Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. We at Rompa Group are always searching for the most innovative ways to improve our production, and now with the usage of smart sensors we are seeing a big impact on efficiency and the analytic possibilities we receive from those sensors.