Machinery Monitor verifies critical equipment and processes.
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Press Release Summary:
Acoustic Machinery Monitor (AMM) includes IPCS500 Digital Scope Module, which displays and records active acoustic power values in each of 96, 1/12th octave, frequency bands monitored by unit. Alarm relays are activated whenever continuously monitored sound deviates by adjustable margins from sound that was learned when machine or process was operating properly. PLC-based configurations make time-shared monitoring of multiple microphones.
Original Press Release:
Intonix Introduces Enhancements to Industrial-Grade "Listening Inspector" - Acoustic Machinery Monitor
ROSEVILLE, Minn. - How valuable to your company is it to have an employee whose sense of hearing allows him to detect small acoustic variations; differences in noise patterns of equipment and processes that are indications that something is about to go wrong - something that would paralyze your productivity? How much more valuable would that individual be if he could be in many places at one time? If he were small, but tough, and could fit into normally inaccessible locations to check equipment? If he were immune to injury from malfunctioning equipment? If he were able to provide you with data about his findings to allow you to identify trends in functioning? If he were a cinch to train? If his pay requirements were truly affordable
- and he didn't ask for benefits, while working 24 hours a day?
Intonix Corporation, a manufacturer of sound-monitoring technologies for critical plant equipment and processes, introduced such a "find" last year: a product that monitors and
evaluates sounds produced by rotating machinery, non-rotating equipment and processes to detect problems as they develop - before they result in failure.
Now Intonix has enhanced that product line - Acoustic Machinery Monitor (AMM)- to include a scope module that is capable of providing both data display and recording for evaluation on a personal or laptop computer. In addition to this, programmable logic controller (PLC)-based configurations are now available that make time-shared monitoring of multiple microphones simple and practical.
The Intonix Digital Scope Module IPCS500 is a low-cost means of displaying and recording, for trending purposes, the active acoustic power values in each of 96, 1/12th octave, frequency bands, monitored by the AMM. It displays data in a Windows environment from control terminals. The dual-trace storage scope module functions as a normal oscilloscope-providing visual confirmation of the active acoustic spectra being monitored-except that all of its operations can be performed with a mouse.
The PLC, manufactured by Siemens, is available in pre-wired, pre-programmed packages that can be used with the Acoustic Machinery Monitor to easily implement sequenced monitoring of multiple microphones and/or up to five different learned acoustic signatures. These packages provide cost-effective monitoring of multiple locations and varying operating modes.
"These product line additions make having an effective catastrophe prevention system even easier-viewing and recording system data, and using the system for multi-tasking with ease. Manufacturers who use the Acoustic Machinery Monitor can keep their operations up and running, with minimal disruption. Manufacturers who use the Acoustic Machinery Monitor don't have to worry that they won't hear what their equipment and processes are trying to tell them," says Derrick Alcock, sales and marketing manager, Intonix.
Using 96 frequency bands, the Acoustic Machinery Monitor can "learn" and analyze what a machine or process sounds like during normal operation. Its alarm relays are activated whenever the continuously monitored sound deviates by adjustable margins from the sound that was learned when the machine or process was operating properly. It can automatically shut down malfunctioning equipment.
The Acoustic Machinery Monitor verifies critical equipment and processes, particularly in remote, inaccessible or dangerous locations. It can operate as a stand-alone product or within a supervisory control and data acquisition system.
"The sounds emanating from equipment and processes in a plant are not just noise-they contain information, information that can be used to prevent breakdowns and mishaps that damage expensive equipment, cause costly loss of production, start fires, and injure workers," says Alcock.
The Acoustic Machinery Monitor is ideal for industrial applications, including motors, conveyor applications, generators, compressors, pumps, turbines, processes and gearboxes. It effectively monitors non-rotating equipment such as absorption chillers, boilers, flow processes and electrical transformers. It can detect escaping fluids such as air, water, steam and natural gas. It can hear and monitor changes in sound as tooling wears.
Intonix Corporation is a Horton Holding, Inc. company, Roseville, MN, USA. For additional information regarding Intonix and the Acoustic Machinery Monitor, or to locate a distributor call 651-361-6000 or visit www.intonix.com.
Intonix Corporation is a Horton Company.
intonix.com; 651-361-6000
