Stream Sensing Scale-Up Strategy

流变学，即物质流动的方式，影响着我们日常生活的方方面面，从挤牙膏到食物的质地，甚至是刷子刷墙。它还影响产品的整个生命周期，从制造过程效率到最终产品质量和消费者感知。通常，产品的流变性是在批量生产过程结束时测量的，以确保产品符合质量控制标准。将工艺流程中的产品样本带到实验室进行离线分析。如果样品不符合要求的规格，产品必须重新加工，甚至报废，导致产生大量废物、过多的能源消耗和排放。Stream Sense开发了一种获得专利的传感器原型，能够在线和实时测量流变性，使制造商能够更早地干预他们的过程，以确保将产品损失降至最低。它还有许多其他好处，包括：非接触式批量释放和改进的过程控制、优化以及对Industry 4.0连续生产的理解和支持。该传感器利用“最先进的”断层扫描传感来确定流体在层流条件下如何在管道中流动或速度分布，并结合差压传感来获得关键质量控制设置点的粘度，从而生成对流变行为的完整表征。Stream Sense在这项技术上获得了巨大的商业兴趣，在多个国家的快速消费品制造商成功地进行了试点和工厂试验，并计划推出系统。为了最大限度地提高产品的广泛商业价值，该项目计划进行几个关键的开发。由于复杂的管道布置，许多安装都有空间限制。新的硬件和软件设计改进将降低成本和整体产品占用空间，并扩展功能，使Stream Sense能够支持更广泛的市场需求。在线流变学在包括个人护理、家庭护理和食品生产在内的广泛领域提供好处，这也往往需要遵守卫生设计标准。该项目将包括对支持这些标准的增强措施进行评估。Stream Sense已经拥有国际客户基础，并进行了类似的评估，以证明符合国际电气标准，如UL或CE。

Rheology, the way a material flows, impacts every aspect of our daily lives from squeezing a tube of toothpaste, to the texture of our food and even brush painting a wall. It also influences the entire lifetime of a product, from manufacturing process efficiency, to final product quality and consumer perception. Typically, the rheology of a product is measured at the end of a batch manufacturing process to ensure that the product meets quality control standards. A sample of product from the process stream is taken to a laboratory to conduct an off-line analysis. If the sample fails to meet the required the specifications, the product must be re-worked, or even scrapped, leading to the generation of large volumes of waste, excess energy consumption and emissions.Stream Sensing have developed a patented sensor prototype able to measure rheology in-line and in real-time, allowing manufacturers to intervene in their process earlier to ensure that product losses are minimised. There are also a number of additional benefits including: touchless batch release and improved process control, optimisation and understanding and support for Industry 4.0 continuous production. The sensor exploits use 'state of the art' tomographic sensing to determine how a fluid is flowing in the pipe, or velocity profile, under laminar flow conditions coupled with differential pressure sensing to obtain the viscosity at key quality control set points to generate a complete characterisation of the rheological behaviour. Stream Sensing have received significant commercial interest in the technology with multiple successful pilot plant and factory trials at multi-national manufacturers of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods products with system roll-outs planned.To maximise the wide-ranging commercial value of the product several key developments are planned in this project. Many installations have spatial restrictions due to complex pipework arrangements. New hardware and software design enhancements will reduce cost and overall product footprint and extend functionality, allowing Stream Sensing to support wider market requirements. In-line rheology offers benefits in a wide range of sectors including personal care, home care and food production, which also often requires adherence to hygienic design standards. The project will include evaluation of enhancements to support these standards. Stream Sensing already have an international customer base with similar evaluations performed to demonstrate compliance to international electrical standards, such as UL or CE.