Established in 1915 in Denmark, Hempel is a well-known company which produces industrial-grade paint for various large-scale facilities, bridges, cargo tanks, ships, and more. Given the extremely high cost of these objects, company responsibly must cover not only the production process but also the painting process itself. The Hempel Track was created for the purpose of precise quality control.

The main challenge was designing a product that meets safety requirements for operating in explosive atmospheres. Work with volatile paint compounds requires special certificates from the device, as it is in a potentially dangerous environment. Hempel Track is certified by ATEX certification as zone 0 - a place in which an explosive atmosphere consisting of a mixture with air of hazardous substances in the form of gas, vapor, or mist is present continuously or for long periods or frequently.

The Hempel Track is placed in a room where the painting takes place and monitors the temperature and humidity to ensure the work is being carried out under the appropriate conditions. In addition to the basic functions of measuring temperature and humidity, Hempel Track has an additional function: while shaking, the device indicates whether enough time has passed to apply the next coat of paint. This simple feature makes it easier for the team to coordinate work efforts and eliminates the need to keep track of time. Shaking was chosen with the workwear in mind; pressing buttons becomes problematic when wearing protective gloves.

Grinn was responsible for software development, hardware design, connectivity, and testing on this project. The next time you learn that a ship, cargo tank, or wind blade was painted with Hempel paints, you know it was done under the watchful guidance of our sensor, and all necessary painting conditions were met.