INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
FEATURE of potential human error . It also provides and records all the documentation necessary .
Some devices have their own in-built display , while others only have a Bluetooth connection to read the measures on the app on a smart phone , though Steenkamp notes that even devices with their own display are being connected .
He notes that while this technology is already widely available , the market still relies to a large extent on manual and labour-intensive analogue tools to this day . However , a trend towards using technology in warehousing and ventilation is evident .
“ There is still resistance and lack of trust towards technology like connected devices in many industries – but their use is unavoidable in the future . People are hesitant to adopt this technology due to concerns about reliability and unfamiliarity with the new technology . However , the inevitability of technological advancements and the cost-effectiveness of Bluetooth versions of tools are driving the adoption of these connected devices .
“ We ’ ve been introducing such devices for the past seven years and it ’ s been a gradual process with some pushback . The alternative digital option to a Bluetooth-connected device is to have tools with their own displays for readouts - but these options can be costlier compared to utilising a phone . However , some industries require that model .
Slowing the pace of growth of this market are concerns about the perceived fragility of digital technology , he says : “ However , modern sensors are in fact stable , can be calibrated and adjusted , and are generally more reliable than older analogue technology which people tend to forget have their own challenges . The reluctance to accept digital technology is prevalent worldwide , but it may be more pronounced in South Africa . In North America and Europe , the acceptance rate is much higher – primarily because the connected instrument pays for itself within three months , and the logic is clear to them .
“ The slow adoption of digital technology in South Africa can also be attributed
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From a contractor point of view , by interrogating the information remotely they can interpret what ' s wrong and where .
to the lack of a culture of preventative maintenance . But with a shortage of skilled personnel and a brain-drain underway , the use of intelligent devices that automate more calculations becomes a necessity because they are no longer being done by engineers or even qualified artisans , but by semi-skilled people . The demand for connected devices is growing at an accelerating pace , driven primarily by positive word-of-mouth testimonials and the significant advantages they offer in terms of convenience and efficiency .”
Steenkamp says : “ For example , digital leak detectors in the refrigeration market can reduce a three-day job to half an hour . While there are no hard estimates of the payback period per device , the cost of gas for a leak on one refrigeration system can be more than the cost of one leak detector . As margins become tighter and business becomes more challenging , companies are starting to see the cost savings of using these tools – they can no longer afford to pay for a technician to spend three days with soap and water testing for a leak when they can get a tool for R7 000 that does the job . While environmental considerations are important , the most persuasive argument is the cost savings that these devices offer . The reduction in technician hours and associated costs is a tangible advantage that can be calculated quickly .”
Rothenberger
While the market for these tools is competitive , Steenkamp cautions that many companies produce cheap products without local support . Nonetheless , the advantage of more advanced sensors and support is clear . In critical facilities such as hospitals or pharmaceutical plants , reliable sensing technology is essential . “ I see the market for instrumentation as consistently moving towards connectivity within an eco-system , whereby if you buy one tool and then another and so on – they all speak to each other . I expect to see growing pressure to improve software all aimed at increased connectivity .
“ Building management systems ( BMS ) may be automated and have continuous monitoring , but our instrumentation works by complementing BMS – which is installed in a building and functions 24 / 7 whereas ours are portable handheld tools ,” Steenkamp adds .
TOOLING TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
Over the last 10-15 years , electronics have played a large and growing role in the R & D of the tooling industry , aimed at driving efficiency improvements . Much of it revolves around the evolution of electronics in the control systems of plant , says Eurocool managing director Rodney Taylor .
“ A key driver of efficiency is the development and evolution of variable speed
Power tools are going battery-operated worldwide .
motor technology and DC-type induction motors , which were unheard of 15 years ago ,” he adds . “ There has been a momentous step forward in the technology of the electronic expansion valve and the driver , compared to the old standard thermostatic expansion valve . That ' s the device that controls the flow of refrigerant through the circuit . The old thermostatic valve relied on sensing the temperature of the gases coming out of an evaporator and it would use the changing of the temperature to regulate the opening of an orifice on the inlet side of the evaporator to regulate the flow . Electronic expansion valves sense both the pressure and the temperature on the discharge sight and use the pressure temperature relationship of the refrigerant to modulate the valve opening and closing so it can track a given superheat far more accurately .”
Taylor explains that built into that is a growing amount of predictive artificial intelligence , which is the next logical step in this technological evolution . “ The newer , more sophisticated electronic controllers connect and reside in the refrigeration cabinets in supermarkets , or on the rack of a plant room , connected to a single management system . This functions by the management system over time getting to know the idiosyncrasies of a particular plant to the point where it can predict and eventually anticipate whether something will go wrong . We ’ re seeing this
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