This article was written by Brian Bannon, Co-Owner of Thermaxx Jackets
Thermaxx is a world leader in the Removable Insulation Jacket market. As an energy solution provider, the Thermaxx R&D engineering team continues to deploy cutting edge technology into the mechanical insulation market. Our newest product ties together our laser scanning, smart sensor and smartphone App technology.
The Internet of things (IoT) is quickly becoming a large part of everybody’s life. Facility mangers across the country can now monitor and manage heating systems from their building or from a remote location 1000 miles away. The growing WiFi and Cellular footprint is allowing manufactures in heating and air conditioning to add smart technology to their product. Boiler Controls, Thermostats, Reducing Stations, HVAC dampers…. are all now accessible remotely with a smartphone.
Our R&D team has embraced this change and is running with it. It’s time to put insulation on the cloud. Facility managers should be able to see live temperatures of the insulation. They should be able to quickly review warranty or maintenance information without searching for a folder or piece of paper. Our latest market changing technology is the new Thermaxx Slate…Powered by Slate PagesTM
Most removable insulation jackets include a stamped stainless steel tag that lists the insulated component type (gate valve, wye strainer, etc…). The tag may also contain predetermined item numbers and location information. The amount of information is usually dictated by the size of the tag and the size of the font.
Our Slate is a laser-etched tag with minimal text and a QR code. The QR code points to a ‘Slate Page’ TM – a website that contains removable jacket information valuable to the end user. In addition to component type, item numbers, locations, etc…. it can provide information on jacket material, data sheets, warranty information and install instructions. The Thermaxx engineering team works with our project manager and clients to update each individual jacket’s Slate Page.
We were recently asked to include valve information on a Slate Page. The facility manager had Thermaxx load up the actual valve manufacture information including the operating manual, previous maintenance history and preventive maintenance instructions. When their mechanic removes the jacket to perform maintenance or inspection, they can quickly access all the valve information with a quick scan of their smartphone using an off the shelf QR code reader.
The Thermaxx engineering team wakes up daily to provide value to our end users, and have decided that there must be an easier way to afford the clients a way to change the information on the Slate Pages themselves…
Stay tuned for the next article explaining the new Thermaxx Slate Pages APP schedule to be released in early 2016!
