One of the main questions our customers ask us is: “How can I collect and apply actionable data for my compressed air system?”

As we’ve written about before, data is truly our foundation here at Bay Controls. And we believe—and have shown throughout the years—that data, when collected and analyzed, can transform how the world views compressed air systems.

This, in turn, can massively change the ways that compressed air systems function and operate.

So how can you collect and apply actionable data for your compressed air?

To explore this, we’re going to highlight one of our major projects with a large Detroit automaker to see different ways to collect, analyze, and apply your system data.

OEM Manufacturing Example: Turning Data into Savings with Cloud-Based Compressed Air System Monitoring

Situation

Since 1999, we have worked with a Detroit-based automaker to provide cloud-based data monitoring, reporting, and alerting for their compressed air systems using the BayWatch platform. (BayWatch is our cloud-based control and monitoring system.)

Over the course of almost two decades since our first BayWatch installation, we’ve partnered with our customer to implement BayWatch as the corporate standard for compressed air system monitoring in their North American plants.

Data Collection & Analysis

Starting in 2010 with a new energy management team and focus on improving plant performance in manufacturing, safety, and energy use, we’ve worked with the automaker to leverage plant performance by identifying and implementing compressed air saving projects using the data collection and reporting capabilities of BayWatch.

BayWatch accomplished that goal with a cloud-based platform that captured and stored compressed air system data in 15-second intervals.

It then allowed users to view and manipulate that data using a suite of built-in reporting and analysis tools from anywhere they had access to an internet browser.

Results: Leveraging Data into Savings

At both the corporate and plant level, BayWatch has provided the actionable intelligence the automaker needs to continually improve their compressed air reliability and energy efficiency.

With the installation of BayWatch in all but two of the automaker’s plants, corporate energy managers went from having very limited data on compressed air performance to a complete picture of how every single air compressor was performing in near real time.

This enormous increase in data availability enabled a fundamental change in the way that savings opportunities are identified and implemented.

With BayWatch, the corporate energy team is now able to analyze compressor (and plant) performance data, identify areas for improvement, and then work with the plants to implement projects.

Learn more about our work with this large OEM, the data quality we brought them, and how they were able to benchmark their data here!

Are you using data analysis right now to look at and improve your compressed air system? What are some insights you’ve been able to gather?