Improving Real-Time and Historical Knowledge with MQTT

Magnetrol is a global level and flow solutions provider. The company wanted to leverage the native intelligence that was built into its Smart Level transmitter products but was left stranded in the field. The goal was to use IIoT technology to access information from Magnetrol devices in a cost-effective manner. Magnetrol wanted to get the data into an easily accessible infrastructure — to help transform its “reactive” service model to a “proactive” model. The aim then is to continuously monitor and improve measurements in real time for customers 24 hours per day.

The problem was to determine how to get information out of discrete point-of-use transmitters and into the hands of people that could take action on that information.  Previously, accessing information in the event of a problem required a user to be at the point of connection with a laptop. Further, most of the information necessary to diagnose the problem was only available while the problem was happening. If that problem ceased or changed state, the historical information was lost. Magnetrol wanted the ability to provide customers with real-time data to make necessary changes to the level transmitters to limit downtime and to provide an unmatched level of customer service.

Solution: The solution had two primary components:

1. Provide an edge-of-network device that could communicate with Magnetrol devices.
2. Convert the resulting information into MQTT messages that could be published over any available network connection.

The Blue Tech gateway is an edge-of-network gateway with the intelligence to convert transmitter information into MQTT Sparkplug tags that are immediately discoverable by the Cirrus Link MQTT Engine Module for Ignition as native Ignition tags.

Result: By using an edge-of-network device with its level transmitter, Magnetrol was able to continuously monitor the performance of a client’s complex application to determine the optimal settings in a particularly challenging environment. Absent real-time and historical data, multiple visits and countless man-hours would have been required to diagnose and determine the appropriate modifications for optimal performance following commissioning. These optimized settings have reduced the faults of the level transmitter to zero. Mutual benefits were achieved as a result of these changes. The customer has peace of mind that the transmitter is working optimally and avoiding faults, despite the complexity of the operating environment — while Magnetrol doesn’t need to send technical support staff to support the application.