Sustainable Innovation at SCHURTER

With the Smart Connector DS11, we now offer an integrable appliance inlet solution that can be connected to a cloud. This communication capability opens up possibilities for enhancing a simple inlet with additional features. One application is the analysis of measured energy data by Artificial Intelligence in order to generate usage patterns automatically. Based on this, the respective device is automatically shut down to prevent wasteful operation, such as unnecessary cooling cycles, without foregoing functionality.

Depending on the calculation assumptions, the smart connector consumes 0.5-0.8Wh – including data traffic thanks to the low data volume of 1KB/m. This is just a fraction of the energy consumed by comparable devices in standby mode. In the case of a water dispenser, at least 20% of the energy consumption can be saved by preventing unnecessary cooling. For 10L of cooled drinking water, this corresponds to around 50 to 60Wh.

The SCHURTER Smart Platform, which includes a cloud, user app and device firmware, provides the foundation for developing further products. A standalone module (DT31) will be realised as a next step for retrofitting everyday devices to enable communication, thereby tapping into further energy-saving potential.

New production technologies

For a number of years now, additive production technologies have been opening up interesting possibilities for saving materials in the production of plastic and metal parts. Components can be manufactured according to wishes with the desired technological characteristics and minimal material consumption in a matter of days. We apply this additive production method in prototype construction and the production of small series with a batch size of fewer than 1,000 units in order to act quickly and precisely. Moreover, we are increasingly using numerical calculation tools to counter increased material consumption in the development phase. This allows us to reduce costly and material-intensive testing procedures.