From higher plant efficiency to preventive maintenance and increased profitability, digital innovation is bringing a variety of benefits to industrial operations. ANDRITZ has combined the power of smart sensors, big data analytics, and virtual and augmented reality to create Metris, a portfolio of digital industrial solutions. Within this portfolio, Metris addIQ control systems offer cutting-edge machine and process control for solid/liquid separation equipment and systems.
Metris technologies can be fully tailored to individual requirements and unite the physical and digital worlds, giving plant operators virtual access to ANDRITZ experts whenever they need them. Its automation solutions range from basic automated movement to enabling machines to recognize changes and imbalances within the process, which can help operators to then optimize operations.
By combining cutting-edge automation solutions with digitalization, Metris addIQ control systems are able to enhance availability, minimize production costs, increase overall equipment efficiency, and reduce the risk of operating errors, resulting in a high level of reliability.
Intelligent packages to improve the filter press - freely configurable to the customer‘s need.
This innovative filtration solution – the ANDRITZ intelligent filter press – offers a wide range of benefits to plant operators. In many processes, the filter cake has to reach a certain defined residual moisture content. This is where the intelligence of the filter press and its Metris addIQ control system comes into play. A sensor embedded into the filter plates enables the moisture content in the cake to be measured throughout the filtration cycle. This means that filtration can be stopped when the desired residual moisture level is reached, saving valuable cycle time and thus increasing production capacity. As a result, the plant can provide a more consistent residual moisture content in the filter cake.
Graphic illustrating cycle time reduction for an application in the mining and minerals industry
For example, by monitoring the relevant parameters, sensors connected to the Metris addIQ control system can determine when a cloth washing cycle should be triggered.
For an application in the mining and minerals industry, this already meant a cycle time reduction of 8%, as shown in the graph above. This combination of sensors and application- specific control algorithms embedded in the PLC logic is the key to reliable and optimized filter press operation in demanding applications. A sophisticated data analytics tool turns this into information that is relevant during operation. Furthermore, the intelligent filter press monitors the contamination in the filtrate or the hydraulic oil. Besides that, hydraulic and feed pressure as well as the feed temperature are measured and adjustments made where needed. Other values measured are provided by Metris addIQ Monitoring. Trends are collected and alerts issued when deviations from the ideal conditions are detected. Plant operators are informed 24/7 on the status of the filter press and on the key performance indicators.
Maintaining an overview of the entire operation becomes a complex task when there are more than four filter presses in a plant. Metris addIQ ACE for filter presses is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology so that each machine in the plant is aware of what is happening throughout the entire operation. Metris addIQ ACE looks at operational management of the filter presses as a complete system and is thereby able to optimize ancillary equipment like feed pumps in order to avoid excess power consumption. It is also smart enough to make intelligent trade-offs between availability, filtration efficiency, and throughput. The efficiency of each filter press is taken into account, information from upstream and downstream operations are collected, and intelligent decisions are made automatically to maximize production throughput, minimize water consumption, and increase overall filtration efficiency.
