en.Wedoany.com Reported - U.S. industrial equipment manufacturer Martin Engineering has introduced a digital system specifically designed for industrial air cannons, aimed at enhancing their operational efficiency, reliability, and overall performance.
In mining operations, air cannons release compressed air at timed intervals to clear blockages in chutes, thereby improving material flow and reducing equipment downtime. However, Brad Pronschinske, Global Product Manager for Air Cannons at Martin, noted that operators have long lacked effective tools to monitor the actual working efficiency of air cannons. In a press release, he stated that although air cannons have been around for over 50 years, plant operators still cannot reliably determine the real effectiveness of these devices during sequence operation.
The company's new N2 Air Cannon Intelligence (ACI) system addresses this challenge. The system utilizes battery-powered nodes installed directly on the air cannons, which communicate with a centralized cellular gateway via long-range radio frequency. According to the company, a single gateway can support over 1,000 sensors on site.
Pronschinske added that many customers lack the time or resources to continuously monitor air cannon performance. The ACI automatically provides actionable information, helping maintenance teams focus their attention where it is truly needed, thereby ensuring the reliable operation of critical material flow systems.
Martin stated that the platform is designed to support equipment reliability and efficiency while reducing the labor required for manual inspection of each air cannon. The ACI operates independently of the plant's Wi-Fi or control network and can typically be installed without requiring plant shutdowns.
The new system will be showcased at the Hillhead 2026 exhibition, held from June 23 to 25 in Derbyshire, UK.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
