At the beginning of 2024, Rygene-Smith & Thommesen sought solutions to streamline and improve maintenance and operations. They chose El-Watch Neuron Sensors.
The pulp mill, which produces up to 70,000 tons of wood fiber annually, is located in Rykene between Arendal and Grimstad. Led by Senior Operations Engineer Jarl Ove Omland, they had a strong desire to implement IoT sensors for better monitoring.
Related article: What are IoT sensors, and why are they a good investment? – El-Watch

Proud Operations Engineer: Jarl Ove Omland in front of the factory
Challenging conditions required better monitoring
With a long production line and continuous operation, Rygene-Smith & Thommesen experienced challenges with unforeseen production stoppages, which increased costs. Machines and equipment were often run to failure, whilst early repair or replacement of parts could have significantly extended their lifespan. Additionally, they relied on time-consuming and costly inspection and maintenance rounds.
To address these challenges, they wanted better production monitoring and a system that could alert them in time to reduce costs and maintenance needs. Senior Operations Engineer Jarl Ove Omland took the initiative, researched the market, and contacted El-Watch.
“The collaboration with El-Watch has been very positive. They delivered a system tailored to our needs, and we are already seeing significant results.”
Jarl Ove Omland, Senior Operations Engineer at Rygene-Smith & Thommesen
After an initial dialogue with sales representative Trond Høitomt, a Teams meeting was set up, during which El-Watch presented their Neuron IoT sensor system.

Rygene-Smith quickly understood how the system could help them transition to predictive maintenance. This led to a visit to the factory, where Trond and Jarl Ove tested coverage for gateways, among other things.
Related article: What is predictive maintenance? IoT solutions, examples, and more
Jarl Ove then developed a detailed implementation plan, including use cases and the number of sensors, which he presented to management. This thorough approach laid the foundation for successfully implementing IoT sensors at Rygene-Smith.

A small excerpt from Jarl Ove’s presentation.
Installation and setup were easy for Rygene-Smith & Thommesen
The management at Rygene-Smith & Thommesen was quickly convinced that El-Watch was the right supplier for monitoring and placed an order for around 150 sensors. Jarl Ove Omland took responsibility for setting up the system and installing the sensors in the factory. Immediately after the sensors were installed, data started flowing.
“I am impressed with how easy it was to get started with the Neuron system. The sensors are intuitive to set up, and we got immediate access to the data in the Neuron app.”
Jarl Ove Omland, Senior Operations Engineer at Rygene-Smith & Thommesen
The focus was monitoring vibration and temperature on motors, pumps, silo screws, chip blowers, and other rotating equipment. Jarl Ove organized the systems in the Neuron app with neat groups, overview images, tags, and descriptions. From El-Watch’s perspective, his structure and detailed setup were exemplary.
Related article: How does vibration sensor application increase productivity? – El-Watch

A neat Rygene-Smith system in the Neron App
The functionality and potential of the Neuron system
Operators at Rygene-Smith & Thommesen also have access to the Neuron app and monitor the data daily. Early on, an operator detected a deviation and an increasing trend on one of the sensors, which averted a potential incident.
After collecting data for a few months, Jarl Ove set up rules and alarms in the system. This ensures alerts when machines, equipment, or processes deviate from regular operation.
The successful implementation of the Neuron system at Rygene-Smith attracted the interest of Huntonit, which is now a customer of El-Watch. Both companies produce wood fiber, but while Rygene-Smith exports wood fiber, Huntonit also produces wood panels at its factory.
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Averted production stoppage and saved 70,000 EUR in five months
After five months of operation with El-Watch’s Neuron Sensors, Jarl Ove can point to several incidents where the sensors have alerted critical deviations in the factory. These early warnings have helped avert significant costs and ensure more efficient operations.
Jarl Ove highlights how user-friendly and reliable the system is and how the collaboration with El-Watch has provided significant benefits for Rygene-Smith & Thommesen:
“With Neuron Sensors, we have already saved 70,000 EUR in just five months. The sensors give us early warnings of deviations, allowing us to intervene before equipment fails. This saves us both time and significant costs. With continuous monitoring of vibration and temperature on our machines, we have reached a whole new level of control over operations. We can now perform predictive maintenance and avoid costly downtime. Previously, we spent a lot of time and resources on manual inspection rounds. Now we get automatic alerts when something is about to go wrong, which has made our maintenance routines much more efficient.”
Rygene-Smith and Thommesen quickly achieved impressive results with Neuron Sensors from El-Watch. The sensors allow real-time monitoring of critical machines and equipment, reducing unforeseen downtime and streamlining maintenance routines.

The intuitive system has simplified daily operations for operators and the maintenance team. Overall, Neuron Sensors have contributed to increased operational reliability, lower costs, and more efficient production.
Related article: What are IoT sensors, and why are they a good investment? – El-Watch
Are you ready to reduce costs and optimize operations?
With Neuron Sensors from El-Watch, you get complete control, less downtime, and significant savings with predictive maintenance. Experience how easy IoT monitoring can be – just like Rygene-Smith & Thommesen.
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