Smart hose maintenance using RFID tags

Industry 4.0 is becoming a reality at the Mühlberger Group, a full service provider for flows of goods, operating media, the supply of PPE, and maintenance services.

Starting out as a traditional trading company, today Mühlberger offers expert assembly of hose lines and mobile hose tests on-site at customers’ premises in addition to sophisticated logistics services, complete supply systems and state-of-the-art vending machines. The Group offers comprehensive hose management – involving tests in accordance with leaflet T002 published by BG Chemie (a German professional association for the chemical industry) and as per TRBS 1201 – in collaboration with inevvo solutions, including in the form of digital solution.

Maintenance of hose lines
Mühlberger employees have been successfully testing hose lines on a regular basis for many years now, for example to check for external damage. The range of services also includes a pressure test with water, endoscopic examinations as well as testing of hose couplings together with seals and electrical conductivity.

Inventory and documentation
In addition to handing over the complete testing documentation, there is also the option to have Mühlberger assist with creating a customized catalogue of existing hose lines, supplemented by associated documentation, including in digital format. In this way, the CONEXO system from inevvo solutions makes it possible to access different information using RFID tags on hoses. These information is available in the central CONEXO portal. In addition, current tasks are available in the CONEXO app. Examples include:

• Item number/operating media number for the hose line
• Technical operating data/hose line data
• Hose line components
• Material certificates, declarations of conformity, test certificates
• Functional location in SAP
• Location

Step-by-step instructions are also stored as an option in the CONEXO app, which can be used on any standard tablet or smartphone. The app can also give safety instructions for maintenance and assembly and issue prompts to confirm that individual steps have been performed by the relevant employee. The results are synchronized with the CONEXO portal and can be retrieved centrally. Examples include:

• Maintenance tasks (visual check, replacement, etc.)
• Leak test
• Video endoscopy
• Photo documentation of the condition of removed parts

Digitalisierungsforum 2019
As a cooperation partner, inevvo solutions also took part in the digitalization forum organized by the Mühlberger Group in April 2019. In addition to a practice-based presentation, more than 90 attendees had the opportunity to experience the specific customer installation at Mühlberger.