SICK has unveiled a pioneering compressed air monitoring system that accurately predicts where significant energy cost-savings can be made by fixing air leaks and removing wastage across entire production and logistics facilities.

SICK’s Monitoring Box FTMg Premium is a digital and scalable service that can be used by production planners, energy managers and maintenance engineers to make compressed air cost savings of up to 30%, as well as to eliminate costly manual maintenance regimes. 

The enhanced digital Monitoring Box Premium service analyses and displays accurate data from SICK’s FTMg multifunctional flow sensors. Compressed air consumption data is visualised in easy-to-use graphic displays, while alarms can be set up to alert when new leaks occur. 

By comparing data from each measuring point, machine, and production line, cost drivers or over-consumption can be identified, e.g. by comparing a machine type with the same function on two production lines. 

Leaks and inefficiencies are easily eliminated, users understand their processes better and make around-the-clock decisions to optimise their energy usage. Production processes become more sustainable by reducing CO2 consumption and insights contribute towards ISO50001 Energy Management certification.

Charlie Walker, Digital Solutions Consultant with SICK UK, explained: “Even if you walk around the factory today and identify and fix all your leaks, tomorrow there might be three more you will not have found. Now you can drill down using precise real-time data to discover exactly when, and where, you are producing air and wasting it. 

“The system will tell you how much wastage is going on, and what that’s worth in real money. So, you know when to take action. Ultimately compressed-air costs could be reduced by up to 30% delivering a significant return on investment, while reducing your CO2 footprint and making servicing both more efficient and effective.”

www.sick.com