FIVE STEPS TO SIMPLIFY SILO INVENTORY MONITORING
It takes just five basic components to design an inventory system for managing solids, powders, or liquids stored in bins, tanks, silos, and other storage vessels.
1) Select the right sensor type for your materials and processing environment.
Common technologies
- Non-Contact Radar
- 3D Level Scanners
- SmartBob
- Guided Wave Radar
- Ultrasonic
- Laser
2) Connect and network sensors to a control system or software.
Sensors must be able to communicate via a wired or wireless communication network. Wireless systems reduce the cost and complexity of installation using over-the-air communications.
> Daisy chain: A wiring scheme that allows multiple sensors to be wired together in a sequence to reduce the amount of wiring needed.
> Gateways: Sensors send level data to a gateway that uses LoRa (long-range) communications to transmit data to a website application or software.
> Wireless Systems: Wireless radios, bridges, and repeaters are used to span long distances without the use of expensive wiring.
3) Determine how you want to access your inventory data.
Consider the type of device you want to use, such as a phone, tablet, or PC. The locations and number of sites and vessels monitored. Whether employees are working at the plant or remotely.
- Directly into a PLC or HMI
- BinView® or FeedView®: Logging into website application
- Binventory™: Installing software on a local network
- Facilitate Vendor Managed Inventory
4) Provide convenient inventory access in real-time for plant personnel.
Save people time to make them more productive. Inventory at plants is often at a centralized location, such as a control room. Make real-time data easily accessible via a walk or drive-up push-button console.
> Digital Panel Meters: Compatible with all types of sensor outputs such as 4-20 mA or Modbus RTU. Large, ultrabright displays are readable in smoke, fog, or bright sunlight
> Control Consoles: Monitor up to 120 vessels with a single console. Display options for height of the product, headroom, percentage full, and weight.
5) Use point-level sensors to alert to high and low levels.
Eliminate material outages and prevent overfills using sensors that alert when vessels are almost empty or full. Get uninterrupted processing, improved margins, and increased outputs.
Affordable sensors:
- Rotary
- Vibrating Rod
- Capacitance Probe
- Tilt Switch
- Diaphragm Switch
