Cloud-based remote maintenance for steam generators

Whether in the healthcare sector, the chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive or food and beverage industries, steam generators from Certus Dampfautomaten GmbH & Co. KG supply steam and process heat worldwide. Steam and heat are indispensable in many industrial processes such as cooking, sterilization or drying. A failure of the steam generation can therefore bring entire processes to a standstill in many areas and have serious consequences. "The steam product forms the basis for the overall process of every customer," explains Thomas Hamacher, partner and technical manager at Certus.

Electrically operated steam generators are becoming increasingly important

The extremely compact steam generators of the family-run company based in Krefeld have been operated for a long time mainly with gas and oil. Recently, however, Certus and its customers are increasingly relying on electrically operated steam generators, which can also work more sustainably. In addition, customers increasingly want steam generators that are compact and easy to maintain. Certus is responding to all three trends with its new EMX range. The availability of spare parts and the quick accessibility of service employees is of the utmost importance. “The customer needs to be able to meet their steam demand as easily and reliably as they can get electricity from a socket,” says Thomas Hamacher. "Ideally, they hardly notice where the steam generator is located or what function it performs."

Modularity, space saving and remote monitoring

The electric steam boilers of the EMX series can be expanded on a modular basis. Thanks to their upright design, they can be combined into multiple systems in a space-saving manner. The main module can be flexibly expanded to include additional units in case of increased demand. In addition, Certus has equipped the systems with an online connection, which can be used to monitor the condition remotely. "The implementation of these automation options was of crucial importance to us," says Thomas Hamacher. "Our customers increasingly have less specialized local staff. That is why everything must be very simple. This is exactly where we come in."

Systems that can be maintained online have the advantage of sending notifications at an early stage, even before a fault occurs. This allows the customer to be contacted in good time to clarify whether a service technician is required or whether the customer can take measures independently to prevent possible faults. Employees are shown step-by-step which tasks need to be completed. Once the steps have been confirmed, the plant manager receives a clear overview of which measures have been implemented and can thus ensure that all the necessary tasks have been completed. In situations where major challenges arise on site, Certuss specialists can connect to put the system back into operation. "We know exactly when the system needs its next maintenance and which spare parts must be available soon in order to keep the entire production chain running smoothly," explains Hamacher.

Sensor technology, I/O technology, visualization and cloud connectivity from a single source

When Certuss was developing its EMX series, TURCK provided support with an integrated solution covering everything from sensors and I/O technology to control with visualization and cloud connectivity. The compact TURCK PT pressure transmitters precisely measure the system pressure. This data is sent to the modular BL20 I/O system, and then to the TX700 Edge controller, which monitors and controls the input and output signals and connects to the cloud. The TX705 HMI serves as the operating unit, providing process visualization. "As a niche manufacturer with limited resources, we rely on partners who can offer us a complete solution, which is exactly what TURCK provides," says Hamacher. "TURCK has proven to be a reliable partner, supplying us with the necessary switching devices and components while also enabling integrated cloud connectivity."
For example, the graphical user interface of the HMI was completely redesigned in close cooperation with TURCK using the TX VisuPro development environment to reflect Certuss's corporate design and desired user experience. "The result is an outstanding product that is impressive both technically and esthetically," Hamacher concludes.

Cloud connection: act proactively and optimize continuously

Cloud connectivity provides important features to Certus customers. Since the data from the EMX steam generator is transmitted in real time, the system can inform the Certus maintenance service directly about service topics. Certus can view all sensor values and track how the system works, even over longer periods of time – provided that the customer has granted this access. This allows the manufacturer to act proactively rather than simply responding to requests. The integrated condition monitoring system regularly checks whether thresholds are exceeded. This means that the maintenance service can immediately detect when something is not working properly and can react quickly – reducing downtime to almost zero.

In the numerous applications and industries, not all steam is the same. It is therefore crucial to understand quickly how the customer uses their system. These insights gained through the cloud connection are also incorporated into the further development of the steam generators – in order to further increase the resource efficiency of the steam generators without compromising performance.

Higher pressures and better availability

The EMX steam generator offers users a decisive added value: they generate steam at a pressure of up to 16 bar. Previously, this was only possible with fossil-fueled steam generators. However, they are increasingly being replaced, as Certuss customers are striving to minimize their carbon footprint. With the EMX generation, customers are well positioned for the future. We hope to gain further advantages from the cloud solution in the future, such as predictive maintenance with anomaly detection, says Thomas Hamacher as he explains the further plans. "We also intend to build steam generators that use hydrogen and state-of-the-art control technology. We are also firmly planning a close cooperation with TURCK in this project."

Customer | www.certuss.de