Elmodis offers Internet–of–Things solution for machine monitoring

Elmodis is an Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) company that has created an integrated hardware and software solution that helps improve the efficiency of electric-powered industrial machines. A team of engineers developed a method that allows machine manufacturers and end users to remotely monitor performance of their products by measuring the current and voltage flowing to and from the electric engines that power those machines. Elmodis’ patented technology, based on thorough research and development, can be used in industries such as manufacturing, energy, mining, and oil and gas.

The company was founded by engineers with more than 15 years of experience working for European industrial customers in the areas of machine monitoring, predictive maintenance and energy efficiency. CEO and cofounder Artur Hanc holds a PhD in mechatronics from AGH Technical University in Kraków.Some of his work, along with in-house research, was implemented into Elmodis technology.

Industrial machines tend to operate in suboptimal conditions, which can negatively affect their performance and durability, as well as increase energy consumption and maintenance costs. That is why Elmodis developed a diagnostics device that monitors machine efficiency. The Elmodis end-to-end Industrial IoT solution consists of measuring devices, edge computing and device management software, a communication layer, cloud storage and analytics. Thanks to this, Elmodis can detect malfunctions and notify clients about their possible consequences long before they cause serious problems like a break in production. The company has developed customized solutions for a variety of the most common industrial machines, including pumps, compressors, industrial fans, cranes, conveyors and transmission lines. Using information collected by Elmodis, the clients can lower repair and maintenance costs and ultimately improve their products and processes.

After additional analysis by the Elmodis system, the producer discovered ways to increase productivity and save as much as 40 percent on electricity costs.

Using the Elmodis Plug & Play diagnostics devices, the machine’s operating parameters are extracted by reading and processing electric current and voltage. The resulting key performance indicators (KPI) are then sent to the a client dashboard in Microsoft Azure Cloud, which means they can be viewed online with a web browser or a mobile application. Although they are not required, manufacturers may also integrate third-party vibration or temperature sensors to add additional data that is processed using Elmodis Advanced Edge Computing technology.

Current machine monitoring systems are based on vibration and temperature measurements and often provide inaccurate results, even if expensive sensors are installed in the machine. Because of the high cost, only a small percentage of machines have them installed. Even for those that do, such sensors cannot measure a machine’s operating performance, detect installation-related problems or give information about energy usage. The Elmodis system, however, can calculate over 100 key operating parameters of any machine, providing more accurate diagnostics.

Elmodis systems have been used across various industries. For example, a German/American auto parts producer uses the system to monitor high-pressure pumps that deburr machined parts to ensure they are working properly and predict potential problems. After additional analysis by the Elmodis system, the producer discovered ways to increase productivity and save as much as 40 percent on electricity costs. Another customer, a manufacturer of industrial fans, used the Elmodis system to monitor fan imbalance and misalignment, as well as to check the run time, operating point, and the machinery’s energy efficiency.