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Interface Measurement Solutions Support Smart Cities

Various Interface load cell products are used in the development of smart cities. What is a smart city? A smart city is a municipality that uses data and interconnectivity to improve sustainability and quality of life.

According to the Smart City Index of 2023, London is leading the way in the development of its smart city infrastructure. Other top contenders for the lead are Zurich, Oslo, Barcelona, Taiwan, Singapore and New York. There are estimates are there are more than 140 smart cities today in various stages, and the number is growing. They are also showing tremendous potential to transform the way we live, consume, move and work. Most smart city infrastructure is in the early and mid-stages of development.

From research to engineering and building to maintenance, Interface force measurement solutions are being actively used in the design and testing of components used in smart city projects and systems. Force measurement data is valuable for assessing and improving the overall efficiency and sustainability of a city. Learn more by visiting our smart cities solutions here.

Load cells can be used to measure a variety of parameters in smart city design, development of infrastructure and resource management.

  • Interface LowProfile and Mini Load Cells are used to measure the force applied to a structure or object. This information can be used to assess the structural integrity of a building or bridge, or to optimize the design of a new product used in the smart city infrastructure.
  • Interface torque transducers provide data on the rotational equivalent of force. This information can be used to monitor the performance of heavy duty machinery and construction equipment, or to ensure that products are assembled correctly when building.
  • Specialized load cell technologies, like load pins, load shackles and tension links can be used to measure tension, lifting actions and weight, which is the force of gravity acting on an object. This information can be used to weigh products, to monitor the loading of transport vehicles, or to ensure materials or people are not overloading lifting equipment. Go to our Lifting Solutions and Weighing Solutions to learn more about the range of products available for smart city applications.
  • Interface wireless and Bluetooth solutions support the advance ICT (communications) requirements to easily capture accurate data without the cable. Our complete line of wireless telemetry systems and Bluetooth options support the advancements in digital optimization and feedback required for real-time data management.

By using sensors, data, and communications to improve human conditions of our cities, we can create more livable, sustainable, and equitable communities for the future.

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How Load Cells and Sensor Devices are Used in Smart Cities

Load cells are versatile and essential tools for a diverse range of smart city applications. They provide accurate and reliable measurements that can be used to improve safety, resource management, and sustainability. Here are some examples of how force measurement solutions are used in smart cities.

  • Improving traffic management: Data acquired from load cells and sensors can be used to monitor the weight of vehicles on bridges and roads. This information can be used to optimize traffic flow and to prevent overloading of infrastructure. Force measurement data can also be used to monitor the movement of people and vehicles. This information can be used to identify potential hazards and to prevent accidents. Read: Interface Powers Smart Transportation Solutions
  • Smart waste management: Force measurement outputs can be used to monitor the weight of waste in bins. This information can be used to optimize waste collection routes and to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills. Learn more in our IoT Waste Management Container Weighing App Note
  • Structural health monitoring: The data from load cells, torque transducers and multi-axis sensors can be used to monitor the structural integrity of buildings and bridges. This information can be used to identify potential problems before they lead to failure. Check out our post Interface Solutions for Structural Testing.
  • Smart farming and agriculture: Data from force measurement solutions can be used to monitor the weight of crops and livestock. This information can be used to optimize irrigation, fertilization, and harvesting. Learn more in our post Solutions to Advance Agriculture Smart Farming and Equipment.
  • Smart transportation: Creating a system of public transportation options, electric vehicles and bicycles, along with autonomous deliveries are part of smart city development projects around the world. Interface force measurement devices are critical in the development, testing and management of smart transportation.
  • Air quality systems: Force measurement data collected in real-time can be used to monitor the emission of pollutants from vehicles and factories. This information can be used to reduce pollution and improve air quality in smart cities.
  • Resource and energy management: Measurement data is important in production and optimization of critical resources like renewable energy and water, as well as for reducing waste and improving efficiency. Force measurement data can be used to monitor the energy consumption of buildings and infrastructure. This information can be used to identify opportunities for energy savings.

Smart cities use various Interface sensors technologies and other data collection instrumentation devices to track the use of resources and transportation. Overall, force measurement solutions are a valuable tool for improving the efficiency, sustainability, and safety of smart cities. As the use of sensors and other data collection devices continues to grow, we can expect to see even more innovative applications for force measurement data in smart city applications.

Keep watch of our smart city applications, as we learn more about how our products are being used in very smart and innovative use cases.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Modernizing Infrastructure with Interface Sensor Technologies

The Rise in Digital Force Measurement Solutions

Why Civil Engineers Prefer Interface Products

Interface Powers Smart Transportation Solutions

Smart Pallet Animated Application Note

Making Products Smarter with Interface OEM Solutions

Solutions to Advance Agriculture Smart Farming and Equipment

Interface Solutions for Heavy Equipment

Vertical Farming for Sustainable Food Production on Earth and Beyond

Innovative Interface Lifting Solutions

 

What is New in Custom Solutions

Here at Interface, we make it a priority to adapt to the needs of our customers in any way possible. Each year we gather vast amounts of data and feedback to address changes in the marketplace and advancements in technology. Often, this comes in the form of new product releases developed specifically with our customer’s most significant needs in mind. However, new product releases take time for development, testing and release. When customers need to address a challenge quickly, we turn to our innovative custom solutions team.

No matter the project, chances are there is a customized force measurement product to fulfill the requirement. We work directly with our customer’s engineering and testing teams to understand the challenge and offer alternative solutions to off-the-shelf products. Our dedicated engineers and measurement experts, along with supporting company resources, and advanced engineering lab give Interface the competitive advantage to make any force measurement application work with what we have to offer.

We provided a brief overview of our custom solutions offerings and process a past blog. Today’s post provides an update on what’s new in custom solutions:

New Custom Solutions Offerings

Among the most significant changes to custom solutions is our growing engineered to order offerings for OEM customers. To best serve these customers and testing engineers with premium and affordable force measurement solutions for use in components or products, Interface now offers engineered to order capabilities for the masses. Engineered to order means Interface can deliver force and torque measurement solutions from our massive catalog that are modified to meet the features, specifications, and cost that our customers require, while still retaining the premium accuracy, quality and reliability Interface is known for across every industry we serve.

Another exciting capability that Interface has recently added is the addition of more digital instrumentation communication options for collecting data from our products. We’ve added Models INF1 and INF4 signal conditioners with field bus capability that include CANopen, DeviceNet, CC-Link, Profibus, Profinet, Modbus, and EtherCAT. By adding this capability, our products can interface with networks that customers already have installed in their facilities.

Custom Solutions Applications

Interface customers continue to turn to our experience Custom Solutions Engineers to build systems that utilize a range of sensor technologies, communication devices and even frames and cases to provide a complete structure.  This includes a growing demand for uniquely pairing force and torque components that work remotely through wireless and Bluetooth technologies as well as delivering entire testing units that re mobile or can be used in the field. The possibilities are unlimited with the amount of products Interface in our catalog, including the possibilities of using new designs.

Every year we engage in a host of unique custom solutions projects with our customers. We would like to share of a few of our favorites with you.

Airplane Maintenance – Wireless Customization

When an airplane comes into the shop, engineers often must jack it up to perform maintenance. When you lift a plane, there is always a risk because you can’t put too much stress on the wings and fuselage. To ensure that the maintenance team members weren’t stressing the plane beyond its limits, Interface developed a solution to measure the lifting force of each individual jack used to lift the plane. The solution included a number of Interface Model 1200 Series Load Cell that would transmit the forces applied back to a base station. However, the customization came in the way data was transmitted to the base station. Typically, wires are used for transmission, but in this case, there were 21 load cells used on the lifting equipment. To avoid having 21 wires get in the way, Interface added custom capabilities to the 1200 series to allow it to communicate with the base station wirelessly.

Crane Application – Custom Programming

Lifting heavy objects can be a dangerous job for onsite workers, not to mention, pushing a large industrial crane too far can result in expensive damages and downtime. Therefore, when an Interface’s industrial customer needed to intelligently monitor a crane in the process of lifting, we helped create a custom program to do so. The custom application included a model 1280 and force measurement activated program. Whenever the crane was nearing a weight that was unsafe, an alert was triggered based on the force measurement reading that could either sound an alarm or shut the system down. This created an automated safety system using force data.

Additional Custom Solution Applications and Use Cases are available here. 

Custom solutions are key to Interface’s broad offerings that we provide when off-the-shelf solutions don’t provide exactly what is required. Our design engineers and manufacturing team is ready to work directly with our customers to provide a solution that is right for your project. To learn more, visit us at /custom-solutions/.

Contributor: Ken Bishop