IoT specialist Bo Eskerod Madsen shares advice for buying and benefiting from smart sensors – the best way to smooth-running food production.

Which question should you ask before choosing the supplier that will deliver smart sensors to your food production line? According to Bo Eskerod Madsen, CEO at ReMoni, it should be this:

“If you are not my supplier in five years’ time, will I still have access to all the data? Because it is a real pity to invest in sensors only to find that you need to change your system if you get another system contract.”

Say no to closed systems
Openness is the most important consideration for any production company that takes the plunge into digitalisation. If the sensor interface protocol is closed, then the only way to transfer data from the sensors is by paying the licence fee to the original supplier. That rules out the possibility to switch quickly and simply to a better supplier offer.

“Cloud solutions have made it easier to get a copy of your data, but the problem of closed systems still exists. So remember to choose a supplier with an open protocol. Then you can change to a new supplier in a matter of hours,” advises Bo.

Smaller and easier to install
Over the years, sensors have grown smaller and easier to install on motors, pumps, fans and anywhere else where food producers need to track performance. Data is collected by wireless connection and communicated to a computer.

Such performance monitoring alerts manufacturers to the need for timely repairs before a fault occurs, minimising production downtime and associated waste and enabling critical quality control on the line.

Benefits all round
Whether you look at it from the perspective of processing efficiency, product quality or sustainability, Bo says, digitalising your system with smart sensors makes sense.

“Today, food manufacturers can install sensors themselves without having to call out a technician. It’s a whole new way to get production running smoothly – and it’s not expensive to get started.”

Bo’s top three tips

# Don’t choose old technology, because that can turn out more expensive in the long run

# Openness is a must

# Remember: smart sensors and IoT are a game-changer for your production

About ReMoni
ReMoni is a prize-winning specialist in energy optimisation, based in Denmark. Using its patented clamp-on technology, artificial intelligence and algorithms, ReMoni helps companies save money and resources. The company was founded in 2013 and today has around 20 employees