Plum specializes in the design and manufacture of Electronic Volume Correctors, Flow Computers and Data Loggers that meet international standards. Headquartered in Poland and with 30 years of experience, PLUM enables cost-effective management of energy, gas, or water consumption by customized smart-metering solutions.

High quality and standardization are a top priority at PLUM. The company is one of few Polish industrial electronic manufacturers operating with the Integrated Quality Management System ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001.

One product in its portfolio is the MacR6N data logger, that allows to monitor water flow and pressure. Equipped with an internal GSM modem, communication can be realized with the 1NCE IoT Lifetime Flat via standardized cellular technologies for a maximum of reliability and a minimum of setup efforts.

Background

The MacR6N is an industrial data logger, adapted for the toughest environmental conditions. Via its mobile connectivity capabilities, monitoring and even billing data are sent according to programmed schedules or when alarm situations appear. The device can detect anomalies in the water distribution system like unusual increments or drops of pressure and therefore possible leaks. The MacR6N has recently been installed for a large water distribution company in Croatia that needed an automized billing solution as well as a real-time monitoring system to detect system anomalies more quickly.

Challenge

The MacR6N data logger needs to be able to communicate in difficult locations. Usually, that would make the installation of a dedicated network mandatory, to which the MacaR6N can transmit its data and which then forwards the information to the cloud for further processing. However, setting up and maintaining a dedicated network with additional gateways relates to a huge amount of additional resources which consume time and money and slow down the quick roll-out of the water management solution.

1NCE Solution

By equipping the MacR6N data logger with a GPRS/Cat./NB-IoT (2G/4G/5G) Modem it can make direct use of the overall available mobile cellular network and be ready for communication instantly within a proven reliable and secure network. The 1NCE IoT Lifetime Flat adds the simplicity of a single worldwide valid cellular rate at a fixed price, that usually serves for the entire lifetime of the device. It works with all common bearer technologies.