Measurement modules aid predictive maintenance

The Entek XMT Series of intelligent measurement modules are heralded as a major breakthrough in machinery monitoring and protection.

The Entek XMT Series of intelligent measurement modules are heralded as a major breakthrough in machinery monitoring and protection designed to increase manufacturers' plant uptime and reduce maintenance costs.

The XM Series is a range of intelligent measurement, relay and communications modules that collect real-time condition monitoring data and can be mounted locally on key parts of rotating machinery.

Unlike a traditional, stand-alone, rack-based machinery monitoring and protection system, XM Series modules may be applied as a stand-alone system or integrated with existing plant information and control systems via standard industrial networks without using proprietary instrument racks, backplanes or networks.

XM modules dramatically reduce installation time and cost because they use the DeviceNet open industry-standard control network architecture, which greatly reduces the complexity of the wiring scheme.

As a result, the XM Series makes continuous machine monitoring and protection systems significantly more cost effective to install and maintain.

Traditionally, only large, high value machinery found in industries such as paper, petrochemicals, process and power generation have been fitted with continuous machinery monitoring and protection systems.

Now, the XM Series reduces cost for existing users of this technology and brings its benefits within reach of a much wider range of applications XM modules can be distributed around the plant, meaning they can be located close to the machinery with no need for special cabinets or power supplies.

A single network cable is then all that is required to connect them to the controller.

Data are sent over plant-level networks including DeviceNet, ControlNet or EtherNet/IP and can be used by any PLC or DCS control system based on an ODVA-certified protocol.

Because the XM Series also shares Rockwell Automation's NetLinx communications platform, it is easily integrated with Allen-Bradley Logix controllers and HMI products.

Using a standard DeviceNet scanner card, the controller continuously scans the XM modules for data, alarm and relay status.

Message prioritisation ensures that changes to alarm or relay status is immediately sent to the network controller.

The modules can be quickly configured to handle analogue inputs from a variety of sensors such as accelerometers, eddy current displacement probes and tachometers as well as process parameters such as temperature, pressure and flow.

Inputs accepted include eddy current probe, standard integrated electronic piezoelectric (IEPE) accelerometer or any voltage output measurement device such as a velocity or pressure transducers.

The modular design means the XM Series is scalable, and the system can grow to cover additional machines as required.

The DIN-rail mounted modules are "hot-swappable" and can be replaced and reconfigured quickly using Rockwell Automation's unique ADR automatic device replacement without shutting down the system.

XM modules can be configured with PC-based software provided with each module or any standard DeviceNet configuration tool such as Rockwell Software's RSLinx and RSNetworx remotely via the network or locally using the RS232 serial port.

For stand-alone applications, the modules can also download data direct to a PC for storage and analysis by condition monitoring software such as Rockwell Automation Entek's Emonitor Odyssey or Enshare.

This produces detailed reports on the health of machinery, allowing maintenance personnel to make an accurate analysis of when maintenance will be required.

The XM network can also be interfaced with RSMACC, Rockwell Software's powerful central maintenance management software.

By monitoring vibration levels in rotating machinery, problems such as shaft misalignment, bearing wear, damage or loose mountings can be detected at an early stage.

Online continuous monitoring enables the health of plant to be continuously updated, so machinery can be immediately shut down if a serous defect that threatens an imminent catastrophic failure is detected.

This protects large, high-value rotating from serious damage and increases operator safety.

Other, less urgent, defects can be monitored and scheduled for repair at the next maintenance shutdown.

Planning maintenance in advance enables spares parts to be ordered and all the necessary manpower and resources to be made available, minimising the downtime needed for the repair.

As well as improving overall equipment effectiveness by reducing plant downtime, moving to a predictive rather than preventive or fix-on-fail approach can cut maintenance repair and operations (MRO) costs by up to 30%.

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