Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA
Smart Compressed Air Systems
Compressed air systems are widely used by manufacturing companies in diverse sectors of industry. However, generating compressed air consumes large amounts of energy and is therefore expensive to produce. As digitization in industry progresses, specific measures can be implemented to tap existing efficiency potential and achieve significant cost savings.
Air is not intelligent. But our systems are. Let us show you how.
An important research focus for Fraunhofer IPA in the field of smart compressed air systems is the integration of smart services. By transferring Smart Grid and Industrie 4.0 solutions to compressed air systems, they can be designed more efficiently with the aid of platform-based services. Modern software methods offer comprehensive advantages. Among others, these include efficiency measures that can even be implemented on older systems, consideration of the whole system from the valve to the business model, and early detection of anomalies before system failures.
We develop solutions from the actuator right through to the business model. Our team of experts offers you the unique combination of:
- Domain knowledge in the field of compressed air systems and manufacturing technologies
- Implementation expertise to deliver the latest state of the art in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
- An overview of solutions available on the market
- An overview of the state of the art and an IPA research roadmap for smart compressed air systems based on this
Our services and expertise
Our goal is to optimally integrate the compressed air system into the energy system of a factory and to operate the compressed air system even more efficiently through smart services with intelligent algorithms. Do you manufacture smart compressed air system solutions and are you looking for partners to develop product innovations? Here you can find out more about our services and expertise:
Keeping an eye on the market: Selecting custom-fit I4.0 solutions
- We identify and evaluate innovation potential for developing strategy & technology roadmaps
- We include compressed air systems in your I4.0 strategy
- We select custom-fit I4.0 solutions for continuous leakage management
Gaining added value from data: Increasing efficiency with machine learning methods
- Contract research on the analysis of pressure and flow measurement data with machine learning methods for classifying leaks and identifying actuators
- Analysis of potential and requirements for monitoring leaks
From the strategy to the solution: Developing company-specific digitization strategies for using compressed air
- Digitization creates competitive advantages that are reflected either in customer benefits or in efficiency.
- Digital development requires an approach characterized by structure and methodology.
- Aligned with a goal, the relevant fields of action must first be identified step by step - rather than randomly/ opportunistically - and then prioritized and implemented along an optimized digitization path.