WirelessHART makes it possible to acquire measurements from dense plant areas, remote locations and even moving vessels.
Wireless devices are the ideal solution for monitoring important process variables that are uneconomical to measure by conventional methods. What is more, wireless instruments support advanced asset management solutions, allowing information to be exchanged with the measurement sensor to aid proactive maintenance strategies across an entire plant.
Go digital
A WirelessHART mesh network protocol has built-in safeguards that ensure reliable and secure communication. The mesh network is self-organising and self-healing with redundant paths, so operation is reliable even when obstacles or interference interrupt a communication path. The WirelessHART Fieldgate collects the measured values at regular intervals and transmits the data, along with the device and battery status, to the plant network. The result is a cost-effective process measurement that includes signal status and device health information.
Like Profibus and Foundation Fieldbus, HART delivers more information than just the raw measured values – having access to the instrument status and diagnostics means greater confidence in the measurement and therefore optimised performance from an application. This in turn helps to reduce large on-going operational costs such as unnecessary plant downtime due to unscheduled or reactive maintenance.
Save power
As HART is a digital protocol, the field device can be set to operate in ‘Digital Mode’. This means the power consumption is greatly reduced, operating at a fixed 4 mA compared to the normal 4-20 mA variable signal normally used to drive an analogue I/O system. Operating in ‘Digital Mode’ can give an energy saving of approximately 40-60% during typical use (mid span). Across a large plant, it offers an effective route to substantial energy savings.
Beckhoff’s XPlanar boosts productivity in medical device assembly Beckhoff Automation
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
The intelligent transport system, XPlanar from Beckhoff provided the basis for an innovative system concept allowing the specialists at Automation NTH to reduce the space requirement of an assembly machine for medical diagnostic devices by a factor of 10.
Read more...Keeping a close eye on product quality and purity Endress+Hauser South Africa
Sensors & Transducers
Colour measurements are necessary in many processes to avoid product losses and ensure safe production and batching. The Memosens Wave CKI50 process spectrometer from Endress+Hauser is a compact, robust and process-friendly device allowing quality, batching and phase checks to be performed by a single instrument for the entire visible colour spectrum.
Read more...Where simplicity meets reliability Endress+Hauser South Africa
Temperature Measurement
The new iTEMP TMT31 temperature transmitter from Endress+Hauser combines simplified selection, ordering, installation and operation with the highest reliability and long-term stability in one product.
Read more...Comprehensive solutions for the food and beverage sector RS South Africa
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
RS South Africa is reinforcing its commitment to the country’s dynamic food and beverage sector, backed by a comprehensive portfolio of over 800 000 products, extensive technical expertise and end-to-end service capabilities.
Read more...Case History 198: Cascade control overcomes valve problems Michael Brown Control Engineering
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
A large petrochemical refinery asked me to perform an audit on several critical base layer control loops. This article deals with a problem found on a valve controlling the flow of fuel to a heat exchanger.
Read more...Improved networking technology for fire and gas detection Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Critical alarm and event management technology supplier, Omniflex has worked with the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation to upgrade equipment providing digital and analogue signals for its safety critical fire and gas alarm systems.
Read more...Simple and efficient level measurement in the mining, minerals and metals industries Endress+Hauser South Africa
Editor's Choice Level Measurement & Control
Measuring devices in the mining, minerals and metals industries face the challenge of varying material states and long distances in measurement height. Endress+Hauser’s answer to these challenges is the new Micropilot family.
Read more...PC-based control for fertiliser Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
On a farm in the USA, valuable ammonia is extracted from slurry and processed into ammonium sulphate. NSI Byosis has transformed this complex process into a flexible modular system. This modular approach requires an automation solution with flexible scalability in both hardware and software, which this Dutch company has found in PC-based control from Beckhoff.
Read more...Loop signature 28: Things to consider when tuning. Michael Brown Control Engineering
Editor's Choice Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
I was giving a course at a remote mine in the middle of the Namibian desert. We were discussing tuning responses, and as I always do on my courses, I mentioned that in my opinion ¼ amplitude damped tuning is not desirable, and is in fact not good.
Read more...How industrial network design impacts ESG commitments Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
In safety-critical industries like nuclear, petrochemical and oil and gas, installing a new industrial cable network is an extremely complicated task. Gary Bradshaw, a director of industrial network specialist, Omniflex explains why this is often unnecessary as plants are likely to have existing cabling capable of being used to create new industrial networks.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version