Learn how an automotive manufacturing plant prevented capacitor bank overheating using Celmes, an IoT-based temperature monitoring and control system that improved power reliability, safety, and maintenance efficiency.
The Challenge
Hidden Heat, Visible Losses Capacitor banks are critical for maintaining power factor and ensuring energy efficiency.However, in this plant, the units were installed in a congested panel room with poor ventilation. Rising ambient temperatures, frequent load variations, and dust accumulation caused several banks to heat beyond their design limits. Technicians had no real-time visibility into individual capacitor or reactor temperatures — they discovered issues only after tripping or thermal damage occurred.Manual thermography checks once a month were not enough.The management needed a continuous, automated temperature monitoring system to prevent capacitor failure, improve equipment reliability, and ensure safety compliance.
Our Solution
The Turning Point: Deploying Celmes Volkkommen Industries deployed Celmes, an advanced Wi-Fi-enabled temperature monitoring and control device engineered for capacitor bank protection. Each capacitor unit and reactor was fitted with temperature sensors linked to Celmes' sensor module. The control unit was installed inside the power factor panel, continuously tracking each channel's temperature and contactor status (ON, OFF, or TRIP). Using real-time data visualization through the V-VAC IoT platform, engineers could now: Monitor each capacitor bank's temperature live. Set independent threshold limits for every capacitor or reactor. Receive instant alerts when temperatures exceeded safe limits. Automatically trip the relay through Celmes' inbuilt safety circuit, cutting off power to prevent overheating. Inside Celmes: Where Precision Meets Protection Celmes transformed the capacitor panel into a smart, self-protecting system.Its built-in LCD display provided live local readings, while the cloud dashboard showed real-time graphs, trend lines, and time-stamped logs of every parameter. With multi-channel monitoring, Celmes offered engineers: Real-time visualization of temperature variations and contactor operations. Automatic tripping of affected circuits during abnormal heat rise. Predictive maintenance insights using historical data analytics. Excel and PDF report generation for audits and maintenance logs. By tracking frequent temperature surges, the system also helped identify aging capacitors and stressed contactors before failure — enabling timely component replacement and balanced load distribution.
Key Results
The implementation delivered measurable improvements across operations, efficiency, and cost reduction:
Reliable Power, Safer Operations
Within two months of installation, the impact was clear:
100% reduction in capacitor overheating incidents.
Enhanced safety, with automatic trips during high-temperature events.
Optimized maintenance schedules, using real usage hours and temperature history.
Improved power factor reliability, reducing energy penalties.
Increased equipment lifespan, thanks to controlled operation and balanced heat management.
The facility achieved uninterrupted power factor correction with minimal manual intervention — all while keeping its electrical infrastructure cool, safe, and compliant.
The Impact: Smart Protection for Smarter Power Systems
For the plant's maintenance team, Celmes became more than a safety device — it became an intelligent guardian of their electrical ecosystem.With real-time dashboards, instant alerts, and built-in relay control, the system turned what used to be reactive firefighting into predictive electrical maintenance.
At Volkkommen Industries, Celmes represents the future of power reliability — combining temperature intelligence, automatic safety, and IoT connectivity to help industries stay efficient, compliant, and worry-free.
Because in the modern factory, staying cool under pressure isn't just a saying — it's a system.