An IoT-based Parameter Extraction Platform for Powder Metallurgy Sintering Furnace

Internet of Things (IoT) technology has widely used in industrial production. Most cases focused on designing new equipment or processes. However, small and medium enterprises especially the powder metallurgy manufacturers in Taiwan would not replace existing production equipment due to the finical problems. In this study, an IoT-based platform is conducted to extract the sintering parameters for technology to augment sintering furnaces by installing sensors and data transmission modules, setting a sintering parameter extraction platform for powder metallurgy sintering furnace. Long-term monitoring and remote control are the main technologies for solving three problems during the sintering process, i.e., temperature, atmosphere, and time. Monitoring targets include checking whether the heaters are damaged, ensuring stable air flow meter readings, and verifying the normal speed of the conveyor belt. Additionally, remote control technology has been developed to execute cooling and reheating processes on the sintering furnace. The staying time on-site for personnel is reduced and the sintering time is increased for production increase during working hours.