Priess, which is based in the small town of Vinderup in Jutland, Denmark, is a company that never sleeps; the ideas on the drawing board are allowed to run wild, and even the most far-fetched ones seem possible. After many sleepless nights, Priess is finally ready to announce its latest product that promises to revolutionise the field of programmable logic controllers (PLC) for vulnerable infrastructure: Priess Intelligence
Priess Intelligence can be compared to a fully automated robot; a PLC robot that doesn’t require a lot of different systems to control. In fact, it’s all controlled by a single system.
It has been designed so that all its components communicate with Priess Intelligence. Priess Intelligence communicates using individualised programming, telling the different components how to behave based on the information Priess Intelligence receives in a given situation.
This also means that in the event of unforeseen situations, Priess Intelligence doesn’t take any action on its own – instead, it sends an automated alarm/message to the responsible person and awaits feedback on what it should do in that specific situation, i.e. it relies on human intervention.
Important partners
Without its talented partners – both domestic and international – as well as the hardworking staff at Priess, Priess Intelligence would never have seen the light of day.
One of the main actors behind the project is Jan Danesfeldt. Jan works in Priess’ German division as a Key Account Manager. His many years of experience in telecommunications comes in handy at Priess. According to Jan, the telecommunications sector in Germany is in rapid growth, which is why it’s important to keep up with the times. In light of that, the only proper solution for Priess homes is for them to contain far more intelligence than they do today.
“Our goal is to take innovation and PLC to the next level!” Jan said with confidence. “We want to be a first mover, offering a single and comprehensive, multifunctional product that provides a completely unique solution that no one else is capable of offering.”
At the interview, Jan was joined by the two key partners behind Priess Intelligence: Max Warmuth (Eaton Electric GmbH, Germany) and Max Danesfeldt (Concept Smoke Screen, UK).
“We are working with security systems in many different forms, but we’re especially good at security smoke and strobe lights,” Max D. explained enthusiastically. “Our thinking behind this project was to create a so-called ‘terror package’, making it impossible for any intruders to steal, cause harm or whatever else they were aiming to do after breaking into one of the homes. In short: Can’t see it? Can’t steal it!”
In addition to triggering security smoke and strobe lights in the event of a home intrusion, the system also includes a 127 dB siren as well as surveillance both inside and outside the homes – from every angle.
Max W. works for Eaton Electric in Germany as a sales representative for tailored uninterruptible power source (UPS) solutions. Eaton will deliver the basic components for this intelligent solution.
Max met Jan at a trade fair, where they fell into conversation. He was certain that Eaton Electric could help Priess find a solution for their project. Despite the fact that their discussion only took place a year ago, Max is confident that going forward with the idea was the right move. “It was a pretty crazy idea, but we quickly became part of the team that had been tasked with developing this customised solution. The requirement was to ensure communication between all the components, including surveillance cameras, doors, UPS systems, fire alarms or cooling systems. ALL of them are able to communicate with each other, so if you want to adjust the temperature inside the house – or even open the door! – you can do so externally, no matter where you are.”
The programming of these homes is individualised depending on the needs and requirements a customer has for their home, all of which is to secure the infrastructure within and outside the home.
New products in the pipeline
If you want to be a first mover and at the vanguard of innovation, you have to be prepared to burn the midnight oil. The team’s many sleepless nights paid off in the end, however, culminating in a presentation of the anti-intrusion system on Thursday 3 September 2020 in one of the broadband homes. CEO Ole Bjerre Christiansen was presented with the challenge of breaking into one of the homes. He had accepted the challenge with confidence, looking forward to snatching the bottle of red wine that awaited inside. Dressed like a stereotypical burglar from a movie, he was ready for the job: To steal that bottle. The siren, security smoke and strobe lights activated in a matter of seconds. The home was filled with a dense smoke (with a visibility of 0), the strobe light made it practically impossible to orient oneself, and the blare of the siren was overwhelming.
Commenting on the experience, Christiansen said that “You can’t see a thing in the smoke, and the strobe lights made it impossible to find my way around. The siren was mostly just a nuisance. The worst part was the smoke and strobe lights.”
Of course, the wheels never stop turning at Priess, and the company’s latest ideas for their homes is currently in the works: an integrated machine that can disinfect rooms, completely automatically. The solution is called Sanihaze, delivered by Concept Smoke Screen.
Here’s how it works: Once an authorised person has finished their job, e.g. in a pump station, and shuts and locks the door behind them, this machine will start up automatically and mist the room with tiny teardrop-shaped particles of disinfectant. The drops will land everywhere, killing bacteria and viruses. This ‘mist’ can be used anywhere, as it doesn’t damage pipes, cables or anything else in the room. After about 20-30 minutes, the ventilation system starts up automatically and clears the air, readying the room for its next visitor and ensuring it’s been disinfected.
In addition to Sanihaze, Priess’ is also working on making the systems solar powered, which can lead to a 50-70% reduction in power consumption. However, that idea has not yet left the drawing board.
Priess Intelligence can be implemented in all Priess homes both new and old, as well as products not supplied by Priess, although the latter is not the company’s main focus.
We are grateful for all our partners and hard-working Priess employees for getting us to the point where we now have a finished product.