ecom, a Pepperl+Fuchs brand, addressed the topics of asset tracking and automation in times of digital transformation at the SPS IPC Drives 2017 held recently in Nuremberg. In hall 7A, booth 330, the specialist for industrial communication, mobile computing and explosion protection demonstrated how companies can implement and put IIoT-solutions to profitable use: including innovative solutions for real-time localisation and an efficient, interconnected asset management.
A key focus is placed on the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons Loc-Ex 01 for ATEX / IECEx Zone 1 and Loc 01 for non-hazardous areas. The BLE beacons developed especially for businesses with extensive factory premises or hazardous areas connect people, sectors, assets and systems. They combine digital and physical data into a single business intelligence unit and help to shape the entire value chain to reduce costs while simultaneously increasing productivity and efficiency.
By attaching small BLE beacons, assets become intelligent, localisable objects, which can provide arbitrary information, such as temperature or fill level, and even respond to events such as keystroke, brightness, shock or positional change. Apart from the spatial information, additional data about local process parameters is transferred in real time. In addition, neighbourhood relations and alarms can be defined, for example, if dangerous goods are to collide or to be stored side by side.
The Bluetooth 4.1 standard ensures that the beacons are compatible with both currently popular as well as hazardous area explosion-proof tablets and smartphones like the Tab-Ex 01 and Smart-Ex 01. Together with suitable applications they form a comprehensive system for any digitisation strategy. The BLE beacons are part of a wirelessly interlinked, explosion-proof solution portfolio that includes smartphones, tablets, peripherals as well as apps and software.
For further information: www.pepperl-fuchs.com