Endress+Hauser’s ‘Patent Rights Incentive Awards’ 2007
Each year at the 'Patent Rights Incentive Awards', the Endress+ Hauser Group honors the best and most relevant patents of the year with a prize of 10,000 euros. This year, the awards were presented to two patents concerning system planning and process safety.
Easier and faster than ever before
Successful team work: Andrea Seger, Martine Lefebvre and Bert von Stein developed software for offline parameterization.
To improve service and, in particular, aftersales service, Endress+Hauser strives to simplify work processes. Until recently, measuring instruments could only be set up and commissioned after the device had been installed. Martine Lefebvre of Endress+Hauser Flowtec and Andrea Seger and Bert von Stein of Endress+Hauser Maulburg have now put an end to this time-consuming process. Using a specially designed and easy-to-use software tool, all the important instrument settings can now be adjusted before the unit is put into operation.
The new tool allows the entire range of parameters to be selected and saved on any computer without the need for the field unit to be connected. Once installed, the data is simply transferred to the device. "As the new tools work with the same core software as the measuring instrument, there is no need for complex parameterization,” explains Martine Lefebvre.
Improved safety
Improved safety: Michael Konrad and Dieter Schmidt found a way to visualize the process state on the display of a measuring device.
Endress+Hauser provides customers with safe and reliable products. However, trouble-free operation can only be achieved with regular inspection - and all this costs time and money! A large number of instruments deliver a wealth of information, which all needs to be checked for operational status.
Until now, the status and condition of the units could only be read from close proximity to the display and within a limited viewing angle. Furthermore, it was not immediately visible whether a process was running smoothly or whether the plant had reached a critical state; for example, when tank filling continued although the maximum filling level had already been reached.
This is where the invention by Michael Konrad and Dieter Schmidt of Endress+Hauser Wetzer in Nesselwang, Germany, comes into play: the new backlit display changes to red to indicate a critical state. Dieter Schmidt explains: "When monitoring a plant, you can now quickly see when a critical state has been reached or, conversely, whether the plant runs safely and reliably - even if you don't stand directly in front of the display.”
Successful team work: Andrea Seger, Martine Lefebvre and Bert von Stein developed software for offline parameterization.
