Stored data should be available for comparison with live data, and for maximum effectiveness, non-technical users should be able to create and edit their own dashboards and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) along with visualization tools like charting, tabular reporting, and color coding. Sophisticated notifications and alarms are also key.
Energy monitoring and emissions reduction
Emissions reporting is now an essential – often compulsory – requirement. IIoT systems automatically gather energy consumption data which, combined with other inputs, can be translated into emissions. Access to reliable process data via IIoT makes scope 1 and 2 carbon reporting much more feasible, especially when multiple sites are involved.
Die casters can use their platform to clearly identify which process improvements work best – including those which aid scrap reduction. A big plus for emissions reduction. For instance, consider a foundry producing 50,000 tons of castings annually. It is calculated that if they reduce their scrap rate from five to three per cent, this equates to a saving of 604 tons of CO2 per year.
Digitalization in the real world: two examples
Alupress Foundry, is using the Monitizer furnace monitoring system to optimize metal supply at its Hildburghausen site in Germany. The tool monitors dosing furnace fill levels against the metal consumption of the die casting process. Dashboards in the melt shop, the production hall and on forklifts show in real time when each furnace will need refilling, with which alloy, and the amount of metal required. Colour codes indicate priority levels. This replaces time-consuming manual fill level checks and reduces the risk of downtime and other downsides due to refilling with the wrong alloy, overfilling or underfilling. LENAAL is another aluminum die casting specialist benefiting from this technology.
MAT Foundry Group collects, monitors and analyses data from several sites. Any user in any location can access the central cloud-based platform and monitor live KPIs within customized dashboards to manage daily operations. Senior management can view aggregated data such as casting tonnage or scrap levels per shift while production managers prefer site-specific productivity KPIs such as poured tons per hour, molds not poured and stop/wait times. Factory floor staff monitor live machine data which is color-coded to help them quickly recognize and fix any small technical issues. The system also automatically monitors dust filter pressures and alerts for possible blockages, avoiding production stops due to over-high facility emissions.
