Energy Monitoring and Asset Performance Monitoring at IPL Packaging Sites
Hark work with IPL, one of the largest importers of produce in the UK, to gain connectivity and visibility of industrial assets within multiple packaging sites in the UK. The initial goal was to retrieve energy and asset performance data to feed into the company’s OEE metrics. These facilities contain production lines, refrigeration plants, and multiple sub-metered areas throughout. Before working with Hark, IPL had no central location to visualise and analyse their data, and in some cases no way to collect data.
In order to make substantial performance gains and energy savings, IPL were aware that they would need cloud connectivity and automatic data collection. In other words, a real-time asset and energy management system.
The 2022 energy crisis applied additional pressure on energy-intensive businesses and the push for net-zero emissions has created a huge need for cloud technology, smart buildings, and energy monitoring software.
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Unlocked Energy Monitoring and Asset Performance Data
A digitally-enabled estate
The overarching vision for improved efficiency was split into two areas: Energy monitoring and asset performance. The company have numerous energy sub-meters, linked to various areas throughout the site, as well as refrigeration plants and production lines that required monitoring. An early part of the project entailed working with IPL engineers to identify and connect to the assets the company wanted to retrieve data from.
From here, we were able to install Hark Gateways to feed process, power and energy data directly into the Hark Platform using the existing secure network in the facility. The Hark Platform gives users the ability to see real-time energy data, plant performance data and real-time process line data that is set up in custom dashboards. This data allows Users to start identifying where potential energy savings can be made and highlight inefficiencies across the site.
Secure Connectivity
A secure IIoT platform
It’s of the utmost importance that our clients are assured that their information and data is entirely secure and protected. All data streamed from our Hark Connect software is fully secure. Due to our work with clients in heavily regulated industries, we have airtight security throughout our business, which is why we’re ISO27001 certified.
Key Features and Services
We have worked with IPL to help empower them to get the most out of their estate by making use of some fundamental tools and features. Multiple user accounts can be created, with different permissions, in order to give employees the information they need. Custom dashboards and reporting give additional flexibility to the users and help focus on data from certain areas of interest – like energy or asset performance.
The client also has access to our email and SMS alerting features, meaning that when industrial assets aren’t operating at peak performance or within their set thresholds, engineers can be alerted to proactively maintain the equipment before any failures occur (this is known as predictive maintenance).
Our energy features allow the client to see energy forecasts and prepare for future energy usage and any costs associated. This level of connectivity also provides an audit trail log and digital signatures which can greatly assist with general compliance and operations.
Key Outcomes
What were outcomes of the project and how did it benefit the client?
Energy and Asset Efficiency ⚡️
The ability to monitor energy and asset usage accurately helped improve performance of assets and lead to energy savings as well.
Insightful Data & Analytics 🔎
Access to crucial data insights is essential for the business, whether for reporting, regulation or to make improvements to processes.
Industry 4.0 Ready 🤖
With the shift towards smart factories, the integration of cloud-connected systems has positioned the company to be at the forefront of a digital-first future.
Reduced Maintenance Costs 
Predictive maintenance enabled by the Triggers and Alerting features of The Hark Platform helps to plan callouts more efficiently and reduces maintenance costs by using real-time data and forecasting.
Maximising Yield Through Optimisation 📈
Higher efficiency in the facility, and optimal performance of assets, helps maximize yield and leads to better overall performance.
Reducing Hardware Requirements 🔋
Accurate insight into the health of assets helps the company determine if an asset needs to be replaced or just repaired, reducing the need for additional hardware, and cutting costs.
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