Fuel cells offer many advantages over older combustion based generation
Fuel cells are fast becoming a keystone technology in the drive for a cleaner, greener world free from global warming. Some of the most brilliant minds in production engineering are now focusing on making their manufacture fast, efficient, reliable and scalable.
Natgraph has spent the whole of its 40 year history at the cutting edge of drying and curing technology. Starting in high speed printworks, it soon shifted focus to industrial applications with their requirements for constantly improving precision and control, uniformity and repeatability.
Natgraph Chief Engineer, Darren Kerry explains: “We have enviable track records for producing highly innovative drying and curing solutions (...) and can meet the needs of any project. So when we were approached to help scale up fuel cell production, specifically on PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) manufacture, we were quickly able to identify optimum solutions.”
Flexy devices enable Natgraph's plant to be remotely monitored & optimized
Natgraph monitors curing temperatures - for these to be exact across every millimeter of each layer, requiring 100% accuracy at all times. With the Ewon Flexy, they can monitor & adjust their PEM production line's performances while protecting valuable customer trade secrets and expensive materials used.
Part of Natgraph’s brief was to develop a secure communication system that allowed the drying and curing plant to be remotely monitored, adjusted, reset and optimized so that personnel did not have to constantly enter the high security cleanroom and also keep all data safe from cyberattack or cybertheft. To this end it developed a VPN (virtual private network) based on Ewon Flexy & Talk2M technology from HMS Networks.
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As Darren Kerry describes: "The DataMailbox service of Talk2M is an online data buffer that allows the easy retrieval of data. As such we can monitor the performance of the PEM production line in real time, log the data for long term analysis and reset or optimise the process remotely. This means we do not have to enter the clean room environment or go through the plant’s on-site security protocols."
BENEFITS
- Data is collected from the membrane production and managed for process control, production changes and efficiency
- Remote access is established through a secure VPN connection
- Intellectual property, valuable resources and materials are kept securely
- Clean room standards are maintained by minimizing the need for physical access