Reliable Metal-Fill Monitoring System Using Wireless Sensor Networks

Among the wide range of wireless sensor networks (WSN) applications, some require reliable data communications such that data packets can be delivered to the destination without any losses. This paper is focused on one such application, namely a metal-fill monitoring system for the lost foam casting process implemented using capacitive sensors and wireless sensor networks. The problem of packet losses associated with wireless transmission of data using WSN with emphasis on the foundry environment has been explored and a method of delayed retransmission has been tested for offline monitoring. The delayed retransmission technique can be used in applications where the completeness of the data collected is more critical than the time taken to collect it The entire system from sensing to data transmission provides a flexible and cost effective method to monitor the metal fill process. Another technique that is more suitable for online applications is also briefly presented.