Plant & Works Engineering April 2022

Focus on: Condition Monitoringe Maintenance Matters RAS (Remote Access Sensors) from UE Systems. Up to 4 sensors can be connected to a 4Cast box, which then connects to the network via Ethernet to provide data insights from the bearings. Data is then sent to UE Systems DMS 6 software for trending an analysis. The great advantage of the 4Cast is its ability to also record and store sound samples from the monitored bearings – this feature, together with the ability to create instant alarms, makes the 4Cast a good solution for critical and slow speed bearings. For electrical safety there is a solution such as the 4Site available. Similar to the 4Cast, it can record & store dB readings and sound samples from up to 4 sensors. In this case, and since we are talking about electrical inspections, these sensors are airborne. Online continuous ultrasound inspection can be performed at all voltage levels (low, medium and high) and is used to detect corona, partial discharge or tracking, arcing and mechanical vibrations (transformers). Conclusion From handheld devices to connected sensors – this is the natural progression of ultrasound technology when used in industrial environments for maintenance, condition monitoring and reliability. Such as other technologies, integration in the IoT world will become a fact, and though the current solutions are already bringing exciting advancements, there is still much to discover and explore. What we know for sure, is that with the currently available solutions, maintenance departments have very effective weapons to fight against issues such as unplanned downtime and electrical equipment failures.