Donaldson is introducing a connected solution that monitors dust and fume collection equipment and prompts owners to take early, cost-saving maintenance actions.

Donaldson will offer the solution through an early-adopter program, with a formal launch in 2019.

Using cloud connectivity, the Donaldson technology gathers real-time data from an operating collector, applies Donaldson’s filtration analytics in the cloud, and relays actionable insights back to the owner via a web-based dashboard and text or email alerts.

The technology can be installed on existing or new industrial dust and fume equipment and includes:
* Sensors to gather data in real time as the equipment operates
* IoT Gateway to send the data to the cloud
* Data analytics developed by Donaldson data scientists to convert the data into meaningful insights
* Web-enabled dashboard to view trends and historical behavior
* Automated email alerts and reports providing operators with suggested actions

The technology provides intelligent insights that enable earlier detection of performance concerns, so that operators have the chance to address them before they become disruptive and impact production. This can help achieve:
* Increased production uptime (less unplanned downtime),
* Reduced labor hours for dust/fume management, and
* Optimization of filter life and equipment function.

These benefits help to lower total costs to own and manage dust/fume collection equipment.

Why it matters:
* As limited facility teams focus on production, maintenance of ventilation equipment can fall behind.
* Owners have minimal data from their dust and fume collectors to optimize their maintenance efforts.
* Connected technology can help solve a labor and experience gap as manufacturers try to fill 3.5 million jobs over the next decade. (“The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing: Outlook 2015-2025,” Deloitte Consulting LLC and the Manufacturing Institute.)

Donaldson conducted pilots in a variety of facilities. Benefits varied with the application and number of collectors managed. Here are two of the pilot participants’ experiences:
* A facility experiencing a plugged collector hopper twice a month on average required two to three hours per incident to fix it. The technology’s early alerts reduced corrective action time to 15 minutes.
* A facility seeing short filter life could not identify a cause. Using data from the connected solution, the Donaldson support team quickly helped the customer diagnose the issue and restore normal filter life.
 
Donaldson Company, Inc., Bloomington, MN 952-887-3131 www.donaldson.com

For related articles, news, and equipment reviews, visit our Dust Collection Equipment Zone

Click here for a List of Dust Collection Equipment Manufacturers