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The FWR 30 sensor is not just a radar-level transmitter. It was natively designed by Endress + Hauser to connect to the cloud and run on battery life in complete autonomy. Once installed, it measures the level of liquid or powdered product contained in an IPC-type vessel without contact and wirelessly transmits the measured values to the Cloud Netilion application. The operator will then be able to view, at any time, from anywhere, on PC, tablet or smartphone, the level of product remaining in his tank. This practical, easy-to-install, ready-to-use, low-cost solution avoids stock-outs and effectively plans for replenishments.
Enclosed in their wire cage, rigid plastic containers are essential for many industrial and logistical activities. These IBCs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) or GRBs (Intermediate Bulk Containers) are intended for the transport and storage of a wide variety of liquid or powdered products. To ensure business continuity and avoid unexpected stock-outs, their level must be carefully monitored to trigger their replenishment as soon as the level of their content falls below a predefined threshold value.
A person usually visits their place of storage or use regularly to raise their level. The task is all the more time-consuming as the site is extensive and operates many IBCs.
Until now, it was difficult and expensive to instrument such tanks. The costs of installing the wiring needed to power the sensor and transfer the data were prohibitive.
To answer this problem, Endress + Hauser offers a simple, practical, reliable and inexpensive IIoT solution to know at all times the level of product contained in IBCs from a smartphone, PC or tablet.
This solution combines the Micropilot FWR30 radar level sensor, integrated into a robust and compact package, with the digital applications of the Netilion Cloud platform.
A cheap solution
Although it relies on state-of-the-art radar measurement and wireless transmission technologies, the level radar transmitter is an affordable and therefore very cost-effective solution. The installation of an FWR30 on 20 IBCs is amortized in just 5 years. Including the license to use netilion Inventory or Netilion Value software applications, the cost of monitoring each of these 20 measurement points is less than €1 per day.
To deploy the solution, simply attach the level transmitter to the tank. No cable is needed either for its power supply or for data transmission. The IIoT sensor is powered by a non-rechargeable but replaceable battery, which can last up to 10 years, depending on the frequency of measurements and data transmission. Then simply create a Netilion account, scan the QR code of the FWR30, and define the frequency of the measurements and their transmission to the platform. As soon as the device is viewable online, it is operational. Its configuration data is automatically saved in the cloud. The user can then remotely view from anywhere he is the product level in his tank from a PC, tablet or smartphone.
No more time-consuming travel
Once the FWR30 sensor is installed on one or more tanks, any time-consuming travel to raise their level becomes unnecessary. The operator may also know at any time the level of all the tanks scattered on one or more of its sites. It can thus continuously monitor the contents of its tanks of liquid or powdered products, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via any mobile or office device. It can thus control its costs, plan its stocks and prevent any shortage. It receives alerts when its stocks reach low levels.
The FWR30 IIoT sensor thus eliminates all expenses related to the travel of tank monitoring staff while making inventory management more reliable and optimized. In addition, the GPS location function embedded in the sensor makes it possible to know in real time the location of each IBC. Gone is the time wasted searching for containers on extended sites. Whether in the production workshop, in the warehouse or near the shipping docks, each IBC is immediately located.
Integrated into a robust housing, the FWR30 transmitter can be installed on all mobile and stationary plastic tanks (IBC tanks, storage tanks). It uses 80 GHz operating radar technology for non-contact measurement of levels up to 15 meters with an accuracy of +/- 10 mm. The transmission of its measurements and its remote configuration is carried out via several standard wireless communication technologies (NB-IoT, LTE-M or 2G).
