Hand holding a mobile phone with a graph displayed on the screen. In the background is a KSB pump with installed KSB Guard.

Digital monitoring tool KSB Guard continuously monitors pumps

Thanks to KSB Guard, it is now possible to avoid malfunctions and efficiently plan maintenance. The tool is in operation at the ROLF SANDVOSS INNOVATION CENTER of SAMSON AG.

The project: KSB equips unique development and test centre with monitoring tool and pumps

As well as being the world’s largest development and test centre for valve technology, it is also unique with regard to its form: the ROLF SANDVOSS INNOVATION CENTER (RSIC) operated by SAMSON. After two years of construction work, the RSIC in Frankfurt was officially inaugurated in 2017.

Since then, the 7,000 square metre facility has been used for research, development and testing. The goal of SAMSON’s innovation centre is to develop reliable and innovative products of excellent quality for a wide range of applications – and to do this as quickly as possible.

A high degree of reliability and quality can only be guaranteed when products are tested in advance under the most extreme conditions, which is exactly what SAMSON does at the innovation centre. The basis for this is a state-of-the-art testing system – the centrepiece of the facility. It enables tests to be performed in a wide variety of test scenarios with regard to the fluids used, process conditions and industrial application fields.

An important part of the system is the KSB Guard digital monitoring tool. It continuously monitors the pumps, which were also supplied by KSB. Continuous monitoring enables SAMSON to avoid unscheduled downtimes and efficiently plan pump maintenance, ensuring that the system is operated economically and smoothly.

In addition to striving for excellent quality products, SAMSON and KSB are also united by their successful collaboration on previous projects which fostered a spirit of mutual trust. In addition to opting for KSB products, SAMSON furthermore asked KSB to act as its full-service partner for this unique project.

Multiple KSB pumps and pipes — The KSB pumps located in the cellar need to start smoothly at all times, even under the most extreme loads and with irregular operating times.

The customer: SAMSON AG is a manufacturer of control valve technology

Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, SAMSON AG offers system and product solutions for controlling all types of fluids. The company produces valves, self-operated regulators, actuators, valve accessories, signal converters, automation systems, sensors, thermostats and digital solutions. Fields of application include chemical facilities, power stations, the distribution of district heating, food production and building automation. SAMSON was founded by Hermann Sandvoss in 1907 and today employs around 4,400 staff worldwide.

The challenge: Extreme conditions for the pumps to handle while simultaneously ensuring minimal monitoring and maintenance

The project entailed a whole series of challenges.

SAMSON required a large number of different pumps which had to be able to withstand sometimes extreme conditions. As SAMSON measures Kvs values and tests pressure losses on its valves, the pumps had to be able to handle pressures of up to 120 bar and flow rates of up to 10,000 cubic metres per hour.
Pump operation: the pumps are operated irregularly and with long downtimes. Nevertheless, the pumps must be able to be started up quickly and smoothly at all times.
The pumps need to operate reliably and be easy to maintain. Removing the pumps and then reinstalling them again not only disrupts operations, it also costs time and money.
The system is located in the cellar. However, a stable connection must be established between KSB Guard and the mobile phone network to ensure the exchange of data.

KSB Guard and KSB pumps only account for one part of the system. To successfully complete the project, effective collaboration with other companies involved was also required

The solution: KSB Guard identifies failure risks at an early stage, enabling maintenance to be precisely planned

The pumps need to operate smoothly despite extreme loads and irregular operating hours. At the same time, monitoring and maintenance needed to be reduced to a minimum. Thanks to the digital monitoring tool KSB Guard, both are possible. Vibration and temperature sensors installed on the pumps continuously monitor the pumps.

KSB Guard then sends the recorded data to the computer or app via the gateway. As the gateway can be positioned flexibly, this enables a stable connection to the mobile phone network to be established – even if KSB Guard is located in the cellar, as was the case with SAMSON.

This provides SAMSON with an overview of all information at all times. Failure risks can be identified at an early stage and maintenance can be precisely planned in advance. Not only does this reduce unscheduled downtimes and disruptions to operations, it also saves on costs.

A total of seven different KSB pumps are installed in the system with various different performance profiles. The individual pump models are Multitec, HPKL, MegaCPK, Etabloc, RDLO, HGM and Movitec.

The smaller pumps feature the PumpDrive variable speed system, which is especially recommended for use in systems with fluctuating demand – as is the case with the innovation centre. The flexible speed control system enables demand-driven operation. This saves energy and increases the efficiency and availability of the pump.

Detailed planning and structured organisation between SAMSON and KSB were crucial to the success of the project. Further success factors in the course of the project were a partnership-based approach to cooperation with all of the companies involved and the reliable supply and delivery of the products and services by KSB.

“Due to previous projects we were already very familiar with KSB’s products and were therefore confident that we had chosen the right partner to support us with such a complex project. KSB is also a pioneer in Industry 4.0 and digitalisation, as demonstrated for example by KSB Guard.”

Domagoj Vnucec, Head of ROLF SANDVOSS INNOVATION CENTER, SAMSON AG

Products used

Etabloc/Etabloc Pro/Etabloc MyFlow

Dokumenti

Jednostupanjska pumpa sa spiralnim kućištem u blok izvedbi, s radnim značajkama prema EN 733, s IEC kompatibilnim pogonskim sustavom PumpDrive 2 s jedinicom SuPremE ili PumpDrive 3 klase učinkovitosti IE4/IE5 prema IEC TS 60034-2-3:2016 i frekventnim pretvaračem integriranim u motor. Vratilo je opremljeno izmjenjivom čahurom vratila u području brtve vratila Spiralno kućište i poklopac kućišta s izmjenjivim raspornim prstenima. Spiralno kućište s lijevanim nogama pumpe na izvedbama B, C i S. Pričvrsne točke prema IEC 60072, dimenzije kućišta prema DIN V 42673 (07-2011). Dostupna je ATEX izvedba. Daleko ispred zahtjeva učinkovitosti ErP direktiva.

Pojedinosti

HGM/HGM-S

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Horizontalna, poprečno podijeljena višestupanjska člankasta pumpa s radijalnim radnim kolima i podmazivanjem transportnim medijem, radijalni i aksijalni ulaz, jednoulazna.

Pojedinosti

MegaCPK

Dokumenti

Horizontalna, poprečno podijeljena pumpa sa spiralnim kućištem u procesnoj izvedbi, s radijalnim kolom, jednoulazna, jednostupanjska, usklađena sa standardom DIN EN ISO 5199, dimenzije prema DIN EN ISO 2858 s proširenjem za nazivne veličine DN25 i ≥DN200, s velikom ponudom dostupnih materijala i brtvi, dostupna i kao varijanta s mokrim vratilom i konusnim brtvenim prostorom. Dostupna je ATEX izvedba.

Pojedinosti

Movitec

Dokumenti

Višestupanjska vertikalna visokotlačna centrifugalna pumpa člankaste konstrukcije s nasuprotno postavljenim usisni i tlačnim nastavcima jednake nazivne širine (redna izvedba) i s pogonom u blok-izvedbi. Sa sinkronim reluktantnim motorom KSB SuPremE bez magneta (iznimka: veličine motora 0,55 kW / 0,75 kW s 1500 min⁻¹ opremljene su trajnim magnetima), s klasom učinkovitosti IE4/IE5 prema IEC TS 60034-30-2: 2016, za rad na sustavu za regulaciju broja okretaja KSB PumpDrive 2 ili KSB PumpDrive 2 Eco, bez senzora položaja rotora. Pričvrsne točke prema EN 50347, dimenzije kućišta prema DIN V 42673 (07-2011). Dostupna je ATEX izvedba.

Pojedinosti

Multitec

Dokumenti

Višestupanjska horizontalna ili vertikalna centrifugalna pumpa u člankastoj izvedbi, u verziji s postoljem ili kao blok, s aksijalnim ili radijalnim usisnim nastavcima, izlivenim radijalnim radnim kolima i sustavom regulacije broja okretaja montiranim na motor. Dostupna je ATEX izvedba.

Pojedinosti

RDLO

Dokumenti

Jednostupanjska, uzdužno podijeljena pumpa sa spiralnim kućištem za horizontalno ili vertikalno postavljanje, s dvoulaznim radijalnim radnim kolom i priključnim prirubnicama usklađenim sa standardom DIN, EN ili ASME.

Pojedinosti

KSB Guard

Dokumenti

Inteligentna i sveobuhvatna usluga nadzora za pumpe i druge rotirajuće strojeve, dostupna 24 sata dnevno i neovisna o proizvođačima. KSB omogućuje predvidljivo održavanje i prednosti koje pružaju sveobuhvatna transparentnost, veća raspoloživost, više sigurnosti tijekom rada i učinkovit pogon (pumpi bez regulacije). Važni podaci o radu poput odstupanja, temperature, radnih sati i stanja opterećenja (pumpi bez regulacije) u svakom se trenutku i na svakom mjestu mogu pregledati uz KSB Guard. Ako dođe do odstupanja od normalnog rada, odmah se šalje obavijest putem web-portala / aplikacije KSB Guard. Pored toga, stručnjaci iz KSB centra za nadzor pomažu pri analizi uzroka.

Pojedinosti

PumpDrive 2/PumpDrive 2 Eco

Dokumenti

Frekventni pretvarač sa samostalnim hlađenjem u modularnoj izvedbi koji omogućuje bezstupanjsko mijenjanje brojeva okretaja asinkronih i sinkronih reluktantnih motora putem analognih standardnih signala, sabirnice polja ili upravljačke jedinice. Zbog mogućnosti samostalnog hlađenja uređaj PumpDrive može se montirati na motor, zid ili u sklopni ormarić. Regulacija do 6 pumpi obavlja se bez dodatnog regulatora.

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PumpMeter

Dokumenti

Uređaj za nadzor rada pumpe. To je inteligentni osjetnik tlaka za pumpe s prikazom mjernih vrijednosti i radnih podataka na licu mjesta. Služi za bilježenje profila opterećenja pumpe kako bi po potrebi ukazao na potencijale optimiranja radi povećanja energetske učinkovitosti i dostupnosti. Uređaj se sastoji od dva senzora tlaka i jedne jedinice za prikaz. PumpMeter je kompletno montiran u tvornici i parametriziran (podešen) za odgovarajuću pumpu. Priključuje se na napajanje s pomoću utične spojnice M12 i odmah je spreman za rad.

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