SONEM sensors create efficiencies in the beer brewing process using Microsoft Azure IoT Edge

The challenge: Breaking down local data storage

To ensure the consistently high quality of their beers, many breweries err on the side of caution and give their beers additional development time in various process steps. This leads to higher energy consumption and increases the beer’s cycle time. SONEM Solutions took this opportunity to use its newly developed in-line ultrasonic sensor, the SONEM Liquid Analyzer. This sensor records and monitors the quality based on a variety of ultrasonic properties. “The readings are used to identify and leverage any potential to optimize the brewing process,” explains Sebastian Minning, Managing Director of SONEM Solutions. “The contactless measurement method is a real advantage, especially for hygiene-sensitive production processes such as brewing.”

SONEM began testing in cooperation with a medium-sized German brewery. Several ultrasonic sensors were installed in the brewing process and connected to industrial PCs using ethernet. SONEM’s software collects, processes, and analyzes the relevant data from the sensors and stores its analysis results locally. “In this case, in order to further process the data, it has to be transferred manually using a mobile workstation,” Minning says. That’s why, for the next market phase, SONEM is developing a solution that permits easier data management, regular model updates, and sensor state monitoring. 

It was this development step that provided the impetus for the joint case study with the industrial IoT specialists at AIT GmbH and with MOXA Europe, which manufactures industrial communication devices; both companies are members of the Microsoft Partner Network. “We know that the machine learning model of our evaluation software requires continuous training in order to become better and more intelligent,” Minning says, “which is why we’re pursuing a cloud-based platform solution that enables process engineers and data analysts to work together.”

The solution: Managing software and devices from the cloud, thanks to Azure IoT Edge

Good things often come in threes: SONEM Solutions, MOXA, and AIT launched their joint case study in late 2019. At its core is Smart Edge, a set of building blocks based on Microsoft Azure IoT Edge which was developed by the IoT specialists at AIT, and, most notably, project manager and product owner Benjamin Boost. “With the Microsoft solution, the high scalability and data security we aim to provide our customers is almost always guaranteed,” he says.

As for the technology, the solution they designed works as follows: The SONEM sensor has a microcontroller for collecting data. The collected data is then transmitted to an IoT gateway where it can be aggregated, analyzed, and further processed before being transmitted to the cloud. Finally, the AIT building blocks are used to send the collected data to the cloud. The hardware that connects the sensors with the cloud is provided by MOXA. “Our devices are ideally suited for use in industrial environments,” says Hermann Berg, Head of Industrial IoT at MOXA Europe. “On top of that, they’re less expensive, smaller, and more temperature resistant than the old industrial PCs.” Microsoft Azure helps SONEM retrieve and further process the data from all sensors. This enables SONEM, for instance, to optimize various models used locally, in the customer’s environment.

In addition, the results can be visualized for end customers through Microsoft Azure IoT Central. The AIT Smart Edge building blocks not only provide the basic infrastructure for collecting and transmitting all data, but they also enable users to manage, distribute, and configure all evaluation models using the cloud. The connection with MOXA’s edge module permits management and maintenance of the gateway itself. “The case study with AIT and MOXA helped us achieve our goal of creating a platform solution more quickly,” Minning says.

Currently, the SONEM sensors are still being used as local sensor systems with unique functionality. Going forward, these sensors will be continuously updated and refined into new models, making it possible to expand their functionality and further increase their relevance to the production process. Additional cloud solutions, such as a web interface, will then allow customers to access all relevant information at any time to proactively optimize the process. SONEM is also planning to roll out this technology in other process industry sectors where there is similar demand.