There is much talk of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things in the media.
One local company, based in Warwickshire, was established to deliver practical solutions within this sector.
EveryWare Ltd. was established in 2015 with two experienced software developers and backed by a local electronics firm Assembled Electronic Solutions Ltd.
Its Managing Director, Nigel Maris, says:
“From the beginning there was much talk about the Internet of things and the rapidly growing use of cloud computing. It seemed logical to develop working solutions that can deliver value to customers. Most of the media coverage was about aspirational solutions way off in the future but early adopters want solutions now. They want solutions, not development tools.”
The company set about developing smart, cloud-platforms that could work with new sensors and use existing data from the clients’ own products and processes.
“We learned a lot in the early stages and have focused our approach on the business case for the customer” says Nigel.
EveryWare has grown quickly through the design and installation of working systems.
Current examples include a term contract with a large Continental group which embeds the Everyware sensors into its range of industrial safety products.
In other applications, Everyware provides hospital monitoring systems that track drug storage temperatures and ambient conditions in critical areas such as operating theatres and clinics.
Its security and industrial monitoring systems are currently being trialled in maritime and security applications.
What does this technology offer traditional business customers?
There are two main reasons for incorporating the smart technology clients’ products and services.
The continuous monitoring and record keeping facility provides evidence of compliance.
Food and medicines can be shown to have been stored and handled correctly.
Temperature, pressure, humidity and exposure to light are just some of the parameters that can be tracked.
The technology allows clients to change their business models and to generate additional income.
OEM suppliers can monitor product usage and provide preventative maintenance packages.
The warranty parameters and use of consumables also opens up opportunities to “servitise” the business.
When it comes to competitive tendering for capital equipment, the technology allows suppliers to provide equipment on a pay as you go basis and this removes the barrier of upfront capital cost.
This can be a very attractive alternative to upfront capital purchase.
The technology helps improve efficiency in the support services.
A Maintenance Engineer or Consumables Supplier can be directed to the point of immediate need rather than following the traditional milk round.
Preventative maintenance can save the end customer thousands of pounds in downtime and damage.
“Imagine turning up on site to fix a problem that hasn’t yet happened. The value added benefit in keeping the business running to the end customer is massive”, Maris explained.
The systems allow the customer to set rules and limits for quality and safety.
The alerts can be fed to smart devices such as mobile phones and emails through a variety of means.
What is the payback period?
In one particular case, a critical cold store was part of a monitored facility.
When the power failed over a weekend the timely alerts raised the alarm. However, the data log of the internal temperature was sufficiently detailed that the £50,000 of goods were shown to have remained in specification throughout. Under normal circumstances the products would have been scrapped.
In a clinical environment, the detailed mapping of the ambient conditions highlighted a problem out of hours. During normal office hours the clinical cold-storage was performing well.
At night, during lock down, the air-conditioning system was fighting the refrigeration system. The power and temperature monitoring showed the seesaw effects. Simply relocating the equipment reduced the energy wastage that occurred every night and throughout the weekends.
The Everyware team has created a flexible sensor technology that allows unusual combinations of parameters to be monitored simultaneously with minimal devices. Networked devices can cover large areas and work within buildings.
For example, forklift trucks may be tracked for location and impact however they can also monitor ambient temperature and humidity.
The combined temperature, pressure and humidity sensors are used in clinical and raw material storage applications.
The motion and impact sensor has been combined with passive infrared detection for wireless security and logistics applications.
As Nigel says, “The Everyware team likes a challenge. They will work with clients through the specification and testing stage to develop bespoke solutions. There are a number of innovative developments that can add real value to the customer”
info@everyware.uk.com
01789 208971
www.everyware.uk.com