Technology
Endress+Hauser factory tour series: Transforming designs into reality
Martin Anklin, Head of R&D Department, and Benedikt Löffler, Quality Manager at Endress+Hauser Flow, take Manifold Times on a tour down the prototyping and production lines.
Manifold Times gained exclusive access into the mass flowmeter (MFM) production factory of Reinach-based Endress+Hauser Flow in Switzerland during February. This will be the second in a series of five articles produced offering behind-the-scenes glimpses of the intricate process on what goes into perfecting MFMs.
The following are key takeaways from the tour to understand more about MFM design and production:
The conversion of ideas into reality is amongst the most challenging aspects of any business and Reinach-based mass flowmeter (MFM) manufacturer Endress+Hauser Flow exemplifies the Swiss ethos of detail and attention, learns Manifold Times.
Martin Anklin, Head of R&D Department at Endress+Hauser Flow, was keen to share details of how Endress+Hauser Flow factories around the world design and produce a significant amount of MFMs per year while maintaining the level of precision required by its custody transfer devices.
And it all starts with…
Prototyping new MFMs
MFM applications are widely used in various industries such as maritime where the devices are responsible for measuring the bunker fuel and engine fuel consumption and more on an ocean-going vessel.
Market demand may call for prototyping of a new MFM design due to e.g. new custody transfer rules and the number of prototypes per MFM model will depend on the nominal diameter, otherwise known as internal line size in millimetres, as required by the project.
“Typically, when you have a small line size between DN 15 to 25 you're very fast in making prototypes where a prototype and simulation can be done in parallel within a day,” informs Anklin.
“Experiments can be done overnight and depending on the results we can build a new prototype based on earlier findings [on the next day].
“But when it comes to bigger sizes like DN 80, 100 and 250 the number of prototypes is fewer, typically between two to three units due to increased cost and time required to build the bigger devices.
“After the final prototype is developed, the next step is to see if the quality is reproducible.”
Technical industrialisation and ‘Kanban’
Prior to production, several considerations must be attended to ensure the produced meter has identical quality as the prototypes tested during development, said Anklin.
Amongst those are making sure the right tooling is available to build the MFM, and even the tools themselves undergo periodical inspection to ensure they are performing correctly.
“We do have several quality check gates in the production line to see if the meter is performing the way we expect, and the last gate is calibration to ensure its stable zero-point performance while passing all custody transfer requirements,” he explained.
Anklin also notes Endress+Hauser Flow utilising the ‘Kanban’ inventory control system. The production method originated from Japan and is being used to track production and order new shipments of parts and materials.
“We have a pre-production line for meters which are built without process connections and transmitters,” he said.
“When the customer places an order, we take the pre-fabricated sensor and “marry” it with the electronics, weld on the process connections and calibrate the device before being shipped.
“Our popular models are organised in a separate production line where Endress+Hauser Flow is able to complete order-to-shipments within 24 hours.”
MFM Production – Swiss precision continues on the factory line
Benedikt Löffler, Quality Manager at Endress+Hauser Flow, was on hand to offer Manifold Times more details of pre and postproduction of the devices.
According to him, each Endress+Hauser MFM undergoes a water calibration to determine the calibration factor and to confirm the specified precision of up to 0.05% accuracy using traceable calibration rigs accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service before leaving the factory.
Further, each Endress+Hauser MFM is equipped with sensors produced entirely in Switzerland.
“Every year, Endress+Hauser performs more than 30 certification audits to ensure products leaving the factory line are on-spec, but it doesn’t just stop here,” said Löffler.
“Suppliers have a high impact on our quality, so we maintain close relationships and perform audits with our suppliers with a focus on long-term relationship.
“A high variability of MFM products and human factors within the production line also mean training of workforce is a key element. We also support this by digitising production information to ensure traceability and facilitate access to information and by striving to retain our employees and their knowledge for many years.”
However, Swiss quality doesn’t stop after MFM devices leave the factory line, he says while stressing the importance of regular service by local third-party vendors and authorities to ensure Swiss quality being passed down the bunkering value chain.
“Compared to mechanical meters, the MFM has no so-called ‘moving parts’ which would alter the calibration factor. There is no need for replacing components of the measuring system over time. That means no frequent maintenance is required for MFMs,” he noted.
“But bunkering is a custody transfer process, and this means frequent verifications of the MFM system integrity must be defined by the local authority. This includes confirmation of the required measuring uncertainty and check that the system was not tampered.
“Measuring performance of a MFM can be confirmed on different levels of confidence starting with zero-point check up to Master Meter verification.
“With the built-in Heartbeat Technology, Endress+Hauser offers a unique way of MFM verification bridging the time between the officially scheduled verification intervals. This adds another layer of confidence.
“But ultimately, combining master meter verification with the frequent zero-point and Heartbeat Verification definitely increases the level of confidence”.
Related: Endress+Hauser factory tour series: Finer points of MFM design, explained by R&D
Photo credit: Endress+Hauser
Published: 5 August 2024
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