Gardner Denver and Pelion boost uptime for manufacturers

Internet of things (IoT)-enabled sensors integrated within the air compressor collect vibration and temperature data which is relayed via an eSIM over a 4G network to a browser-based visualization tool for remote monitoring and analytics. This data generates insights that can highlight machine parameters, and trends over time that may indicate a loss of efficiency or a complete failure that could result in an outage impacting the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of a facility. This data can also be passed to the manufacturer’s proprietary dashboards thanks to simple APIs, which can assist in predictive preventative maintenance (PPM).

The solution

Pelion’s on-demand connectivity and global network coverage meant Gardner Denver could offer ‘Connectivity as a service’ (CaaS), meaning clients enjoy remote diagnostics that reduce the cost of physically sending engineers to site to troubleshoot plant failures and offer energy optimization tools to help reduce energy costs. Pelion’s pre-negotiated tariffs with over 600 networks offer competitively priced coverage regardless of how many networks are used.

It’s all very well offering a platform that delivers analytics, pattern recognition and algorithms that can compute and predict issues before they happen, but the platform is useless without a reliable means of relaying that data from around the globe in an efficient and secure manner. Charles Joel, Gardner Denver’s IoT & Analytics Director and self-proclaimed ‘IoT gadgeteer’ was tasked with their digital transformation and set about finding a connectivity partner that could support their fledgling platform.

Charles’ challenge involved extracting value from the data gathered via thousands of devices in remote locations whilst developing a retrofitted solution that could IoT-enable the thousands of compressors that were are already in the field.

The Pelion partnership meant that Charles and his team of four could focus on developing the open source iConn platform, rather than concerning themselves with maintaining connectivity in export markets. Appointing Pelion as Gardner Denver’s connectivity partners meant Charles could focus on improving his manufacturer’s user experience, rather than managing multiple MNO contracts and invoices.

Additional revenue opportunities unlocked

Pelion’s cellular connectivity is embedded in Gardner Denver’s current compressor range, whilst their retrofit kit is designed to give existing assets the means to connect to the platform. It’s part of a two-pronged approach, which is key to Gardner Denver adopting an aaS revenue model that compliments their plant machinery sales.

The aftermarket kit has seen early success thanks to its plug and play operability which can see a retrofitted compressor kit installed in under 20 minutes and, thanks to Pelion, start to relay data to the cloud-based iConn platform in just seconds.

This embedded connectivity, global coverage across many standards and access to multiple networks means that Gardner Denver can assign the best possible network post-deployment, then maintain the same SIM and connectivity with iConn, even if the manufacturer relocates their plant to alternative factories elsewhere in the world.

Whilst a single eSIM for all territories dramatically reduced the need for multiple SKUs and SIMs to support each country, Charles cited the appointment of an agile partner that could scale with his ambitions as a key factor in choosing Pelion.