Entering the digital future of material monitoring with VEGA level transmitters

Precise level information is important for preventing silo overfill and ensuring optimal material flow. Discharge mechanisms and conveyor systems must be continuously monitored and calibrated to prevent blockages and inefficiencies in the process. At Poloplast in Leonding, Austria, silo level measurement had, until the end of 2019, been carried out with a legacy system that was increasingly prone to errors and could no longer be maintained. This was an intolerable situation that required a reliable and future-proof solution. A case for VEGA level transmitters – and the starting signal for a project that impressively demonstrates how the interaction of advanced measurement technology and digital evaluation solutions in the cloud can create added value for plant operators.

In 2021, the way visualisation was done was also changed: Signal processing and data transmission are now carried out via the VEGAMET 625 controller as well as the VEGASCAN 693 controller, which can collect signals from up to 15 HART transmitters. The data are transferred via an Ethernet switch and a router to the cloud solution VEGA Inventory System. There, the data are processed and made available to the operator via a website that visualises all measurement data. The web-based software was specially developed for acquisition and visualisation of level data, for example in storage tanks and silos. It is a service that is perfect for monitoring material levels and for vendor managed inventory (VMI) applications. Automated monitoring in combination with limit-level alarm messages allows potential problems to be identified and resolved early on before they affect the production process.