Machine monitoring system

Machine monitoring system increases availability and productivity in manufacturing and process industries

The Siplus CMS2000 from Siemens is a system for monitoring machines which helps companies to increase the availability of their plants and selectively plan maintenance work. The modular condition monitoring system (CMS) is suitable for monitoring and analyzing mechanical components in individual machines and complex drive trains.

The Siemens Industry Automation Division is expanding its range of plant monitoring systems with the Siplus CMS2000. The system can monitor and analyze mechanical components like motors, generators, pumps or fans by recording vibrations, rotational speeds and temperature. This makes it possible to detect and remedy potential defects in machines before they occur, enabling maintenance work to be planned reliably. The result is increased plant availability and productivity, and reduced repair and maintenance costs.

It offers two standard IEPE interfaces for connecting vibration sensors as well as one speed input, two analog inputs, two digital inputs, and three digital outputs. The modular system can also be expanded by temperature modules from the Simocode family. Further modules will be available soon. The integral diagnostics software means users can evaluate characteristic values of the bearing and vibration monitoring system and perform a frequency-selective analysis of the recorded data as well as a trend analysis.

The monitoring system can be visualized and parameterized easily by using a web browser without additional software. This allows service personnel problem-free local access even with remote operation. In addition, the system informs personnel by e-mail of the status of the plant and, if required, it can provide the raw data. Internet access is password-protected. The internet-connected company server should be equipped with a firewall to provide additional protection. Alternatively, online access is possible via the secure cRSP platform from Siemens within the scope of a service agreement.

With the combined functionality of monitoring and analysis, Siplus CMS2000 supplements the Siplus CMS product range that until now encompassed the Siplus CMS1000 system for simple machine monitoring and the powerful Siplus CMS4000 system for complex analysis and measuring tasks.
Siemens has developed the Siplus CMS monitoring systems specifically for monitoring plants and machines. The aim is to enlist the help of condition monitoring systems to increase plant availability as the most powerful lever for boosting productivity. The Siplus CMS helps to detect fault sources at an early stage and scheduled maintenance work can be carried out at suitable points in the production cycle. After extended periods of fault-free operation, any significant irregularities resulting from wear and tear or other damage-related causes can be detected at the outset using the documented trend curves. Predictable problems can thus be corrected as they arise – before more significant damage, cost-intensive consequential damage, or even total failure results. Condition monitoring systems from Siemens are used worldwide in a host of production plants and in different sectors such as mechanical equipment manufacture, pulp and paper, renewable energy, metals and mining, oil and gas, and the automotive industry.

Management changes

Brennan Industries recently announced changes to its management team including staff additions in operations, customer service and sales.

LtoR: Jones, Perone & Stahr

Al Jones joins Brennan Industries as regional sales manager for Minnesota. He has 10 years of industry experience in both sales and account management. Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in production management from the University of Minnesota.

John Perone joins Brennan Industries as operations manager for the California distribution center. He has 25 years of experience in sales, marketing and distribution. Perone earned a bachelor’s degree in business from California State University, Long Beach. He also completed the executive program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Matt Stahr joins the management team as customer service manager. Stahr previously worked as a procurement specialist and has been with Brennan Industries for four years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kent State University.

Industrial communication goes wireless

The new Anybus® Wireless Bridge from HMS is a solution for extending industrial Ethernet networks with wireless communication. The solution makes it possible to connect industrial devices running Profinet, EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP, over a wireless connectio

With the Anybus Wireless Bridge, HMS takes industrial Ethernet communication into the wireless age. Just as the name suggests, the product is a wireless bridge between two points in an industrial Ethernet network. It can also be used to connect devices to an existing wireless infrastructure.

Solving problems for system integrators
By connecting industrial devices and networks over a wireless link, the Anybus Wireless Bridge makes life easier for system integrators and network designers needing to create connections through hazardous areas, hard-to-reach locations, or moving installations where cables are not desirable. The Wireless Bridge is compatible with the major industrial Ethernet standards Profinet, EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP, and provides users with a robust and maintenance-free wireless connection.

“We see an emerging need on the market for industrial-quality wireless communication,” comments Henrik Arleving, Product Line Manager, Remote Management at HMS. “Wireless technology is nowadays very reliable and it is becoming more and more accepted on the industrial automation market. The Anybus Wireless Bridge provides a simple solution to complicated connectivity problems and is yet another step in our efforts to make industrial networking easier.”

How it works
Anybus Wireless Bridge allows industrial Ethernet based equipment to be connected via wireless technology and makes it possible to bridge protocols such as Profinet,
EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, etc. over a distance of up to 400 meters (open air range).

Wireless transmission is made via Bluetooth or WLAN technology. While the WLAN solution provides higher bandwidth thanks to a wider frequency range of the transmitted wireless signals, the Bluetooth solution offers an even more reliable and noise immune wireless link since Bluetooth switches between different frequencies.

Control moisture in your hydrogen coolant

Michell Instruments’ on-line and portable dew point hygrometers provide a complete solution to monitor moisture levels and reduce the risk of explosion in hydrogen-cooled electricity generators.

Michell Instruments’ on-line and portable dew point hygrometers provide a complete solution to monitor moisture levels and reduce the risk of explosion in hydrogen-cooled electricity generators.

Using hydrogen as a coolant in the power generation industry is common practice: it has an extremely high heat transfer capacity and is more efficient than any other medium.  However, this efficiency has its price, as hydrogen is also highly flammable. The higher the moisture level is, the higher the potential for corrosion of the generator internals. High moisture levels lower the thermal conductivity (and therefore efficiency) of the hydrogen. Also, condensed moisture within the system increases the risk of the hydrogen in the system simultaneously igniting – a phenomenon known as ‘flashover’. The risk of this is avoided by ensuring that the dew point of the moisture in the hydrogen is kept to a safe margin below the minimum temperature of the casing, typically around 0°C, to avoid condensation.

As it is not possible to hermetically seal the generator casings, there is potential for moisture to ingress from the surrounding air. The heat exchanger itself will also become more prone to leakage due to corrosion with age, allowing moisture to seep into the hydrogen, so constant measurement is vital to ensure that the dew point remains at a safe level below ambient temperature. There are two options: either continual monitoring or regular spot-checks of the system.

Continuous measurement ensures that the current dew point of the system is always available and alarms can be triggered if it rises above the ambient level. ATEX certified dew-point transmitters, such as Michell’s Easidew PRO I.S. and Easidew TX I.S. are well suited to this application as they can be used to measure the dew-point of flammable gases within the hazardous area. As hydrogen constitutes an explosion risk, a digital indicator, if required, should be installed in a safe location, remote from the generator set. Both transmitters provide a 4-20 mA output signal covering the range -100 to +20°C.

A portable dew-point hygrometer, such as Michell’s MDM300 I.S., may be used for making spot-checks of moisture in the system. This can either provide a fail-safe for the online moisture analyzers, or as the main method of measuring moisture. Portable instruments can be highly cost-effective as they can be used for spot checks in more than one location in a plant, eg also for transformer drying applications.

Multichassis Data Acquisition and RF Systems

New Modules Empower PXI-Based Multichassis Data Acquisition and RF Systems

National Instruments have introduced two system expansion options for creating multichassis PXI Express systems. The NI PXIe-8364 and NI PXIe-8374 are the first NI PXI Express remote control modules that make it possible for engineers to directly interface multiple PXI Express chassis to a single host computer using any expansion topology, without requiring complex custom solutions. The modules’ simplified interconnectivity and industry-standard PXI-based architecture help increase system design efficiency and overall system performance in a variety of high-channel-count data acquisition and high-speed automated test applications including RF and semiconductor test.

The NI PXIe-8364/74 modules use x1 and x4 MXI-Express links, respectively, to connect downstream and upstream PXI Express chassis, and all PXI modules in the downstream chassis appear as local devices in the upstream chassis. Because MXI-Express links are software transparent, no interconnections require programming, which greatly simplifies multichassis system setup.

Additionally, the modules use cabled PCI Express as their underlying communication technology, which offers extremely high bandwidth and low latency. The NI PXIe-8364/74 modules provide a maximum data bandwidth of 250 MB/s and 1 GB/s, respectively. Engineers can use the new modules to create systems with multiple PXI Express chassis connected in complex topologies such as star, line or tree. Ideal combinations connect the new NI PXIe-8364/74 modules in upstream chassis with NI PXIe-8360/70 controllers in downstream chassis.

With their PXI architecture and cabled PCI Express communication technology, the new expansion modules build on the numerous National Instruments offerings of broad compatibility with the highest industry standards. Such compatibility, combined with the new modules’ features, simplify the process of expanding PXI Express systems to include multiple chassis for higher performance, thousands of data acquisition or measurement and control channels for various test and measurement applications.

Failsafe applications on portal!

The Siemens Industry Automation division has integrated the engineering of fail-safe applications into its engineering framework, the TIA Portal. Under the "Step 7 V11 user interface" the new engineering tool Step 7 Safety Advanced now provides the required configuration and programming tools for the creation of a safety-related program.

The new engineering tool for safety tasks uses the standard project structure of Step 7 V11 and offers the same operating concept as for the creation of standard programs. The speeds up the familiarization process for the user. In addition, the integrated library, with TÜV-certified function blocks for all common safety functions, simplifies the creation of programs. In connection with custom signatures for the device parameters, the library concept supports in-house standardization and simplifies the validation of safety-oriented applications. The Safety Administration Editor of the new Step 7 Safety Advanced engineering tool simplifies the administration, display and modification of safety-related parameters. The editor offers the programmer a quick overview at all times with standardized and integrated identification of all safety-related objects.

Controller application area extended

The AS-i master CM1243-2 communication module of the Siemens Industry Automation Division connects AS-Interface networks to the Simatic S7-1200 controller. The module significantly expands the application area of the controller. The AS-i master enables sensors and actuators to be easily and quickly integrated at the lowest field level both in the Simatic S7-1200 and in the TIA Portal. Configuration via the TIA Portal is comparably fast and user-friendly, similar to Profinet or Profibus networks.

The AS-i master CM1243-2 of the Siemens Industry Automation Division offers exceptionally easy and effective connection of the lowest field level to a higher-level controller and thus to the process level and MES level. The new AS-i master automatically organizes the data traffic on the connected line, handles not only signal scanning but also performs parameter setting, monitoring and diagnostic functions. CM1243-2 also offers additional integrated functions, such as the configuration of Sirius M200D AS-i motor starters without additional function blocks and access via a web interface. A total of 62 AS-i slaves or 992 inputs and outputs to an AS-i master can be connected. A standard power supply can be connected via the optional DCM 1271 data coupling module, enabling the realization of a low-cost AS-i Power24V network.


Configuration and commissioning of the AS-i master is especially easy to perform due to the integration of the new device in the TIA Portal. AS-i engineering is performed directly in the TIA Portal and is similar to configuration with Profibus and Profinet. No additional software is required. The TIA Portal shows the topology of the connected AS-i network with a click of the mouse. The user can conveniently adapt the parameters of the slaves on screen.