How is your systems' health?

Enabling process manufacturers can benchmark a plant’s regulatory control performance and measure the impact of process improvements.

A tiered service, System Health Monitoring (SHM), offering that leverages intelligence captured by Control Station's PlantESP Loop Performance Monitoring solution has been launched by the company. The service enables proactive monitoring of PlantESP deployments, facilitating rapid response to system resource issues and guidance for achieving world-class control. Dozens of PlantESP licensees and the associated production facilities enrolled in the service offering prior to today’s official launch.

Control Station’s PlantESP Loop Performance Monitoring solution capitalizes on a facility’s existing historical process data to assess PID controller performance on a plant- or an enterprise-wide basis. The software uncovers a range of common mechanical, tuning, and process interaction issues that undermine productivity and that contribute to unplanned downtime. PlantESP’s library of metrics automates the identification of controller-related performance issues, and its portfolio of advanced forensic tools simplifies the isolation of root-causes. Historically, monitoring systems like PlantESP could falter due to natural disasters and other unexpected events, and process manufacturers lacked a common method for assessing performance. The introduction of SHM assures that deployments operate effectively while also providing a benchmark of performance and facilitating the pursuit of world-class production.

“More than verifying a system’s health and providing a prioritized list of tasks, the SHM service benchmarks a plant’s overall effectiveness from a regulatory control perspective,” shared Jonathan Stevens, Control Station’s director of services. “The insights allow customers to see how their plant stacks up against others, and they provide a simple way for licensees to measure the positive impact of each change to their plant’s operation.”

Intelligence derived by PlantESP is transmitted daily via a compact and encrypted machine-readable file. The captured information equips Control Station with timely awareness of:

1. Server health: Basic evaluations of the system, including verification of server’s status (i.e., on vs. off), calculation engine status, and access to required databases.
2. Infrastructure analysis: Assessments of system functionality and architecture, including available server and database hard drive space, identification of misconfigured and/or invalid loops and tags, and documentation of “dead loops”.
3. Control benchmarking: A singular value for assessing a plant’s regulatory control performance and indicating net changes in performance over time.

The SHM offering utilises a variety of metrics and other intelligence to calculate an Overall Controller Effectiveness™ (OCE) value. OCE is a normalized measure for control loop operations based on the methodology for calculating overall equipment effectiveness. OCE provides a simple, quantitative means for benchmarking various levels of control within a plant. Through receipt of periodic scorecards, subscribers to the SHM service offering can establish plant or even corporate performance standards. Within the tiered service offering, a list of priority recommendations can be provided that aid customers with the targeting of PID-related issues that offer the greatest impact on control and production performance.

“The impact that process engineering and operations teams have on control and plant performance can be hard to measure,” noted Dr. Bob Rice, vice president of engineering at Control Station. “Our SHM service equips those teams with a simple gauge for evaluating their performance. With OCE they gain a means for tracking progress and perspective on their plant’s positioning relative to the broader manufacturing landscape.”

PlantESP has been successfully deployed at manufacturing facilities both globally and spanning all major segments of the process industries. Information provided for analysis is restricted to a PlantESP server’s available resources and aggregated values of the software’s metric calculations. No proprietary process data is transmitted. All comparisons within SHM assessments are anonymized to ensure that data cannot be traced to any individual source. As of today’s launch, the SHM service has been proven with customers spanning dozens of production facilities and encompassing over 23,000 unique PID control loops.

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@Control_Station #Pauto #Automation

Sensor-free implementation of condition monitoring.

Condition monitoring solutions allow operators to keep track of the condition of many machines on a regular basis. They make it possible to detect wear on motors in due time and help avoid machine downtimes. However, if this function is performed via sensor, it can quickly get very costly, depending on the type of machine and the number of motors used, such as in a textile machine.

Baumüller has now developed a new software solution allowing a completely sensor-free implementation of condition monitoring. The Drive-Based Condition Monitoring software is integrated directly into the servo controller and can therefore be easily retrofitted. The drive-based software solution is another intelligent function from their SmartValue modular software system. It helps to improve the energy balance in production and lower manufacturing costs. With  SmartValue, Baumüller offers numerous drive-integrated solutions, such as for recording, documenting, and optimizing the energy consumption of the drive system.

Sensor-free monitoring function in the drive.
The new function uses previously recorded and analyzed process parameters from the current and speed signal as reference values ​​for monitoring the mechanics, such as the motor, fan and hydraulic pump. FFT analysis can then be used to detect changes in the vibration spectrum. These vibrations are attributable, for example, to imbalance or faulty alignment.

If a significant deviation from the reference value is detected during operation, an error signal can be output in good time. This allows planned maintenance for the motor and prevents further damage to or the failure of the machine. The comparison measurements can be timed to take place at fixed intervals or on demand, depending on the customer's requirements and the application. Monitoring is based on adjustable warning and error thresholds. Machine builders can use the measurements for new business models in the area of ​​data-driven additional services.

Drive-integrated PLC enables condition monitoring.
The converters of the b maXX 5000/6000 family are equipped with the integrated high-performance b maXX softdrivePLC control platform. This enables control functionalities and a customized API to be installed directly in the drive. This way, programs can be executed so they are highly synchronous with the controller cycle. Baumüller has also used this intelligence in the drive for its new condition monitoring solution and allows the function to run in the firmware. The intelligence thus migrates into the drive. Depending on the application, an external sensor is not strictly necessary. This saves the effort required for separate wiring and reduces costs.

Readable characteristic values.
​​The new Drive-Based Condition Monitoring software can be integrated in different variants. In a simple version, the converter provides a collective value from the temperature, power and vibration analysis of the motor. This can be clarified in the visualization, for example in the form of a red/green display.

For more in-depth information, the software can provide further values, such as the historical progression, the crest factor (ratio of peak to effective value) as well as the kurtosis factor for the number of transients/outliers in the vibration signal and standard deviation. Upon a change in the current oscillations, the exact value that has deviated from the reference value is then output. The range of functions can also be extended to include the evaluation of an external acceleration sensor. This can be freely positioned on a mechanical system and the measured values ​​can be additionally analyzed.

The damage characteristics can also be optionally output on a clearly organized dashboard.

@be_in_motion @PresseBox #Automation

Cloud based condition monitoring.

Machine Sentry® has enhanced its cloud-based condition monitoring offering with the launch of Machine Sentry® 2.5.

Ian Newby, IS Development Manager of AVT Reliability®* said: “Machine Sentry® is one of the most advanced cloud-based condition monitoring systems on the market but our ongoing aim is to make it simple and cost-efficient to use.
“The new capabilities offered by Machine Sentry® 2.5 not only expand the range of options to customers, but also make it easier to adopt them, without the need for detailed technical knowledge of the system.
“As always, customers have the additional option of direct support from our in-house team of reliability experts, from installation onwards, providing a 360° service to their condition based maintenance programmes.”

The latest developments deliver key enhancements to Android™ applications of the system, including:

• Integration with Bluetooth® low energy (LE) sensors from any manufacturer
• Support for new, advanced oil quality and vibration sensors
• A simplified measurement import application programme interface (API)

In addition to the option of employing MSF-1, a Machine Sentry® sensor, companies using the Machine Sentry® Android™ application can now add any brand of sensor to the system. By simply copying the sensor definition to the Android™ device’s internal storage and opening it. Once loaded, the new sensor will be able to collect measurements in exactly the same way as MS-F1.

Machine Sentry® 2.5 also enables enhanced oil quality and vibration monitoring capability with the addition of two new compatible sensors. The Tandelta oil quality sensor, connected via the Tandelta OQD Express display, allows the condition of oil to be monitored in situ without the need to extract a sample and send it to an oil lab. Wear or contamination is measured in real time to an accuracy of 0.001%.

The CTC WA102-1A transmitter, for AC312 and AC314 accelerators, has a higher maximum temperature range than MSF-1, with the potential to reach 125°C, and is capable of a higher sample rate, delivering a maximum F-Max value of just over 15kHz.

The simplified measurement API has been developed to make it easy to import devices, channels and measurements from other systems to Machine Sentry®. Data uploaded via the IPA is automatically added to the database.

*AVT Reliability® has a base in Midleton, Co. Cork (IRL)

@AVTLtd @Android @RightAgency #PAuto #Cloud

Thermal camera for condition monitoring and science applications.

The latest T-Series high-performance thermal camera, the FLIR T865 has been announced by FLIR Systems. Built for electrical condition and mechanical equipment inspection, and for use in research and development applications, the T865 provides ±1 °C (±1.6 °F) or ±1% temperature measurement accuracy, a wider temperature range between –40 °C to 120 °C (-40 °F to 248 °F), and more on-camera tools for improved analysis. A free 3-month subscription to FLIR Thermal Studio Pro and FLIR Route Creator, and a 1-month subscription to FLIR Research Studio is included with purchase.

With ±1 °C (±1.6 °F) or ±1% temperature measurement accuracy, professionals can more confidently inspect and assess equipment health regardless of the time between inspections or changes in environment conditions. By reducing measurement variation, companies can reliably prevent equipment breakdowns and outages in utility substations, power generation and distribution, data centers, manufacturing plants, or facility electrical and mechanical systems. For those in research and development, the improved accuracy provides the temperature measurement detail required to eliminate any guesswork in research, science, and design that uses the visualization of heat.

The T865 offers professionals versality with portable and handheld fixed mount options for inside and outside work in harsh conditions, and multiple lens options to inspect objects both near and far. The available 6° telephoto lens provides the required magnification for those routinely inspecting the condition of small targets at a distance, such as overhead power lines.

For inspections through an IR window, the available 42° wide angle lens and on-camera transmission adjustment ensures safe and accurate measurement of targets within enclosures. For those needing even more detail of small componentry, the available macro lens, along with the new macro-mode, provides 2x magnification compared to the standard lens. Further, the 640 x 480 detector resolution, offering 307,200 pixels or the UltraMax™ 1280 x 960 resolution, offering up to 1,228,800 pixels in FLIR Thermal Studio Standard and Thermal Studio Pro, allows professionals to see images clearly.

To make it easier to inspect multiple points with the T865 on the job such as those in power substations, the FLIR Route Creator plug-in installed on camera and Inspection Mode guides the inspector to important targets, planned before the inspection even takes place, and documents qualitative and quantitative thermal data. This helps inspectors spend less time in the field and face less hassle when creating survey reports. FLIR Thermal Studio Pro also enables professionals to more quickly process thermal images and create compelling reports for customers.

For research and development applications, when the T865 is connected to a preferred operating system with FLIR Research Studio installed on camera, an intuitive interface provides the ability to record and evaluate thermal data from multiple cameras and recorded sources simultaneously. The data can then be saved and shared in workspaces to more easily collaborate with colleagues, saving time and reducing the potential for misinterpreted data due to missing information.

The FLIR T865 is available globally today and through FLIR authorized distributors. 

@flir @mepaxIntPR #PAuto #RandD 

Early detection of wear!

A condition monitoring system based on Harting’s MICA Edge computer  system is being used for the early detection of wear in the overhead conveyor systems used in production lines in the automotive and other industries. The failure of individual support frames in these conveyors can lead to the stoppage of entire production lines, but the MICA-based system detects wear at an early stage and thus prevents unplanned downtime.

Overhead conveyor systems in production lines transport components or subassemblies through individual assembly sections. Worn rollers or damage to drives can lead to the failure of individual support frames, which inevitably leads to a bottleneck of the entire production line due to the serial guidance of the overhead conveyor. To prevent failures, the Harting monitoring system offers a solution for digital condition monitoring of the supporting frames. Here, creeping wear is detected and a warning of a potential failure is issued in good time. The system helps reduce unplanned failure of the overhead conveyor. Maintenance costs can also be significantly reduced by condition-based maintenance. The goal is to achieve higher overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of the suspended conveyor. Since the condition-monitoring solution is designed to retrofit to existing systems, it is also possible to extend the lifetime of legacy systems.

The system consists of two highly sensitive sensor boxes and a MICA Edge computer which directly evaluates the sensor values and transmits them to the control system via an integrated Wi-Fi function. The sensors continuously detect vibrations on the rotors, the frequency of the motor current, the motor current, and the temperature of the drives. If a threshold value is exceeded, the moving-state monitoring set sends a message to the operating equipment via the control system. Affected supporting racks are taken out of service in a targeted manner and serviced.

The condition monitoring set can be retrofitted for all types of transport systems with slow moving components, such as escalators, elevators and conveyor belts. Thanks to the IP 65/67 protection class of the sensor boxes and the MICA, the system can be operated without problem in numerous ambient conditions.

• The monitoring solution was developed in close co-operation with an automobile manufacturer and FormsMedia, a company in the MICA.network partner network. 

@HARTING_Group #PAuto @hartinguk 

Digital capture of plant conditions safe & reliable.

Emerson today released AMS Inspection Rounds, a new application for the AMS Trex Device Communicator that will make it easier for operations teams to capture, report, and respond to abnormal plant conditions that pose risks to reliability, safety, and performance. The new application allows personnel to accurately record field condition data and automatically deliver that data to other plant systems where decision makers can drive effective action.

Most plants rely on manual inspection rounds to detect abnormal plant conditions not identified by sensors. With AMS Inspection Rounds, operators on rounds can electronically record any abnormal or hazardous conditions immediately, such as unusual equipment noise, spills, smells, excessive corrosion or safety hazards. Condition data can be entered on the ruggedised AMS Trex in real-time — timestamped for compliance and audit requirements.

AMS Inspection Rounds delivers condition data to other plant systems via a wired or secure wi-fi connection, eliminating the need for manual entry. It also provides automated workflows to operations and maintenance personnel while they are in the field, ensuring complete, consistent and repeatable collection of condition data.

“Route-based inspections are a key line of defense for identifying abnormal and unsafe conditions that may reduce efficiency or put personnel in danger,” said Mani Janardhanan, vice president of product management, Plantweb and reliability solutions, Emerson Automation Solutions. “AMS Inspection Rounds helps ensure that issues impacting safety and reliability are detected, reported, and resolved earlier.”

With clear dashboards of routes, status, alerts, and action items, users can identify, schedule and coordinate steps for resolving issues more quickly. Electronic recording of route data saves hours of time typically lost in transcribing paper notes to electronic media and simplifies the generation of audit trails — freeing personnel to focus on more important tasks. Operations and maintenance teams can also access historical data to identify and eliminate root causes of recurring problems.

@EMR_Automation #PAuto @HHC_Lewis 

Virtual summit for condition monitoring & predictive maintenance for Europe!

National Instruments (NI) is to host its first European Condition Monitoring & Predictive Maintenance Summit from 6th to 10th July 2015.

This virtual summit explores how the risk and cost of failure is increasing, and why more companies are turning to 24/7 on-line predictive maintenance to improve the effectiveness of their workforce, while reducing downtime. It will feature industry experts highlighting best practices from AREVA, Laborelec, London Underground, Politecnico di Milano, Schaeffler Group and University of West Bohemia.

Each session will be streamed twice and attendees will be able to interact online with NI experts, in real time, to ask questions and discuss topics. Sessions will then be available to watch on demand after the series is complete.

Topics include:

• How to increase ROI and efficiency via smart maintenance investments
• Lessons learned in power generation condition monitoring
• Applying predictive maintenance to large scale asset monitoring deployments

Condition monitoring and vibration analysis!

GE Bently Nevada and GE Commtest asset condition monitoring and vibration analysing products have been added to the World leading test instrumentation ranges available from Classic Technology – one of Ireland's leading independent test instrument distributors.

The SCOUT and vbSeries ranges of portable data collection and vibration analysis diagnostic instruments are the first choice for leading companies around the world, providing all-in-one tools suitable for every level of vibration analysis - from novice to expert. These instruments offer the power and convenience of dual-channel measurement and dual-plane balancing, to help improve the reliability and performance of production assets like turbines, compressors, motors, generators, and everything in between.

Classic Technology represents some of the world leader’s in their field and operates Ireland’s only UKAS accredited calibration laboratory for Mass, Pressure, Temperature and Electrical Calibration. Customers know they can rely on an unbiased opinion of the best test equipment available; covering parameters such as Pressure, Temperature, Mass, Flow, Level, pH, Conductivity and Condition Monitoring. Classic Technology is also Ireland’s only GE Druck Approved Service Centre.

Condition monitoring made easy!

Versatile and user-friendly MTN/5000 condition monitoring system

The MTN/5000, a cost-effective and versatile microcontroller-based condition monitoring system has been launched by Monitran.

The MTN/5000 can have up to 12 channels (to be specified when ordering) and features a 3.5 inch TFT touchscreen and an easy-to-navigate menu. The user is able to set data sampling rates (up to 1million/second), input ranges and resolution and alarm levels, on a channel-by-channel basis or across all channels.

The system is designed to work with Monitran’s accelerometers and velocity sensors but it can also accommodate most other sensor types including those for measuring temperature, pressure, displacement and proximity. It can also accept a voltage or current as input, and raw signals are made available at BNCs on the front panel.

As standard the MTN/5000 has 12 digital I/O channels which can be used for multiple alarms or as a communication channel for integration with other systems. Also, as an optional extra, the system can be fitted with Modbus TCP/IP, for networking purposes or to enable multiple MTN/5000s to operate together within a larger monitoring or control system.

Andy Anthony, Managing Director of Monitran, comments: “With the MTN/5000 we’re providing engineers with a versatile tool that can provide a picture of the health of plant and equipment, raise alarms and indicate when further investigation may be warranted.”

The MTN/5000 system is made to order and, in addition to specifying how many input channels the MTN/5000 should have, the user can request front panel customisation, such as asset numbering. The system requires an input voltage of 24V DC and the enclosure dimensions, including glands, are 372 x 250 x 200mm.

Anthony concludes: “The MTN/5000’s ease-of-use is remarkable. It is a turnkey solution and you don’t need to be a condition monitoring expert to get the system up and running and protecting plant and process assets.”

Expanded sensor offering

Meggitt Sensing Systems announces expanded product line offerings.

Meggitt Sensing Systems has expanded the availability of its products through the company’s San Juan Capistrano (CA US) facility, to include Meggitt’s Endevco®, Sensorex, Vibro-Meter and Wilcoxon Research product lines, all offered under one umbrella.

This recent product line inventory expansion allows customers to now order sensors and instrumentation for aerospace, automotive, industrial, R&D and test & measurement markets directly through the facility as a single source, with fully dedicated customer service, sales and applications engineering support for all product lines. Available sensing technologies include high-performance piezoelectric, piezoresistive and variable capacitance accelerometers; shock and vibration sensors; dynamic and static pressure transducers (piezoelectric and piezoresistive); acoustic sensors and related instrumentation; displacement sensors, servo accelerometers, inclinometers, inertial measurement units, LVDT’s and other position sensing technologies; portable vibration monitors for condition monitoring; electromagnetic and piezoelectric shakers; conditioners; rotating machinery vibration amplifiers; calibration systems and services, as well as a full range of compatible cables and accessories.