The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, is fueled by the interconnectivity of data, devices and people. This mesh of IP-enabled devices and business is also known as the Internet of Things (IoT). While consumers can easily see the benefits of IoT with smart appliances, homes and phones, manufacturers are driving adoption to improve the efficiency and profitability of their operations.
One area where businesses have reaped the value of IoT is in increasing uptime. IP-connected devices deliver data on temperature, performance, speed and other “wear and tear” factors. By instantly communicating and adjusting areas that could lead to equipment failure, equipment outfitted with IoT is significantly impacting uptime and influencing the ROI of predictive and preventative maintenance.
The cost of downtime to manufacturers can be significant—from fully burdened labor, machine hours and other overhead costs, equipment failure has a large impact. This reactive maintenance cost can be four to five times more than proactively replacing worn parts. Looking into the value of IoT enabled devices, especially for critical systems, can be quite cost-effective.
One of the most impactful areas for IoT is with cooling units for enclosures housing your critical data systems. Cooling units for enclosures can be equipped with IP-enabled devices to centralize management of enclosure cooling. This is particularly important for remote Edge installations in large factories and enclosures in uncontrolled environments. This costs thousands of labor hours per year, and oftentimes only spotted a problem after damage has been done.
With Rittal’s new IoT interface for its high-efficiency climate control solutions, data collection and analysis allow relevant data and parameters to be shared around the plant, or any business location. A multitude of values can be measured, stored in the cloud, and analyzed to ensure preventative maintenance is performed and control systems are protected. This protects uptime, improves efficiency and lowers maintenance costs.
With the Blue e+ platform and the IoT interface, Rittal is laying the foundation for the optimal integration of cooling units as well as chillers in Industry 4.0 applications.
Blue e+ is a completely new generation of cooling units that represent a quantum leap in terms of cost-effectiveness and energy conservation. Not only do the units offer far higher energy efficiency than existing cooling solutions, they also offer a range of powerful new features that provide longer component life, flexibility and ease of use.
The Blue e+ line features hybrid cooling technology that delivers 75% greater energy savings than competitive products. The cooling mode automatically adjusts to ambient conditions, switching from a passive heat pipe to an active speed-regulated refrigerant circuit or hybrid combination to maintain a constant temperature. This precision cooling tackles internal temperatures to extend the life of enclosure components.
Blue e+ also offers:
Learn more about the IoT interface paired with 75% greater energy savings by downloading our brochure.