Whether mobile condition monitoring, fault analysis or commissioning measurement, the requirements for mobile measurement data acquisition are high and vary greatly depending on the many areas of application. With its individual measurement case solutions and the platform-independent Profisignal 20 measurement technology software, Delphin Technology offers the right solution for every mobile measurement task.
The range of applications for mobile measurement technology is diverse, almost as diverse as the technical requirements. More and more small machines and devices, such as pumps or drives, need to be monitored and their condition analyzed in order to detect impending damage at an early stage and thus prevent failure by repairing or replacing them. On the other hand, if faults occur, the aim is to find the cause as quickly as possible in order to remedy the situation. For many smaller devices, however, the permanent installation of measurement technology is uneconomical or not even possible due to space constraints. In addition, it is often sufficient to carry out measurements only at certain intervals, as damage develops slowly. Cyclically recurring measurements, such as checking the condition of safety devices like quick-closing valves, are also part of this area of responsibility. A completely different measurement task, but one that ultimately amounts to the same requirement, is the commissioning or commissioning measurements on newly installed or overhauled (refurbished) systems and machines. These measurements are not carried out on a recurring basis, but only once, as it is only a matter of ensuring proper function after installation and correctly adjusting the operating parameters. For this reason, it is not worth permanently installing measurement technology here either. Another large field in which flexible, non-stationary measurement technology is required is research and development. Here, measurement setups change frequently, as tests have to be regularly adapted and designed for the new measurement task. The new set-up is often located in a neighboring laboratory or building, which makes it necessary to "relocate" the measurement technology.
USE IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS
Flexible, mobile measurement technology that can be individually adapted to the respective measurement task is therefore required for the aforementioned areas of application. On the one hand, such a measuring device should be perfectly suited to the measuring task, but on the other hand it should offer sufficient protection in harsh environmental conditions and also be easy to transport. Delphin Technology offers the perfect solution with its individually configurable measuring cases. Their casing is made of resistant plastic that is not affected by dusty or wet ambient conditions or other environmental influences. All interfaces are protected up to IP67 by the use of sealed cable glands. Thanks to the wide-range power supply unit included as standard, the measuring cases are equipped for worldwide use. Larger versions with castors are available for more extensive measuring tasks.
IT'S THE CONTENT THAT COUNTS
The intelligent MSR systems from Delphin Technology form the heart of the measuring cases. Various devices can be used here, tailored to the respective application, from the compact Loggito logger for low-channel measurement data acquisition to the interface professionals of the Expert Logger series and the modular Profimessage measurement data acquisition system. If vibration data is also to be recorded, Expert Vibro is also installed as a specialist for vibration measurement technology. The sensors and actuators are connected to the measuring case via its IO interfaces, which are used to record, store and process the measurement signals and output control signals. The interfaces required for communication with existing field devices, mobile or stationary computers and the cloud are at least as important. A fail-safe internal data memory is also essential in order to store the recorded measurement data securely. For many applications, an internal "intelligence" is also helpful, which can be used to pre-process measured values or, ideally, even automate entire measurement sequences.
ONE CASE - MANY APPLICATIONS
All measuring cases have universal, galvanically isolated analog inputs in common, which enable the non-reactive connection of any sensors for measuring voltages, currents, resistances, temperatures and any derived variables, while always guaranteeing maximum measuring accuracy. This opens up a wide range of possibilities with just one measuring case. All recorded measurement data is stored fail-safe in the measuring case. Interfaces such as Profibus, Profinet, Modbus TCP and RTU, as well as OPC UA, enable any conceivable communication to all levels of the company and to the cloud. WLAN and LTE for wireless communication are also available. A special feature of the Delphin measurement cases are the so-called software channels. This not only makes it possible to link measured values with each other and perform complicated calculations such as derivation and integration, but also to automate complete measurement sequences. The automatic execution of a setpoint curve or temperature stabilization using a PID controller, for example, significantly reduce the amount of work involved in carrying out measurements and open up a wide range of possibilities.
TIME-SYNCHRONOUS ACQUISITION OF INPUT SIGNALS
The measuring cases from Delphin are assembled individually and therefore always have exactly the IO required for the respective measuring task. If, for example, vibrations and temperatures or pressures need to be recorded and analyzed simultaneously for condition monitoring, the required number of channels can be implemented, for example by installing an Expert Vibro in combination with an Expert Logger or a Profimessage device. A special feature here is the absolutely time-synchronous recording of the different input signals. This makes it easy to analyze the various measured variables together and compare them with each other. This allows correlations to be identified at a glance. In addition to the IO interfaces and data acquisition, many different other components may be required for the respective measurement task, such as an interface converter, a power meter or an energy meter. Plug connections must also be available so that the sensors can be easily connected without any time or installation effort. Delphin installs all the necessary components in the individual measuring cases as required. All existing connections and interfaces of the installed MSR systems and other components are wired to the stable front panel and provided with engraved labeling. The type of connections (laboratory sockets, screw terminals, etc.) can be freely selected.
Visualize and analyse - with Profisignal 20, measured values and system visualizations are displayed live and regardless of location on smartphones, tablets and PCs
NOTHING WITHOUT SOFTWARE
A measurement case with precision measurement technology is the indispensable basis for any mobile measurement task. But how can the measurement results be visualized and analysed? This requires measurement technology software that displays the measurement results on the screen without delay - preferably not only on a PC, but also on a tablet or smartphone. It would also be ideal if not only measurement curves but also entire system visualizations could be displayed so that the operating status of all components can be seen at a glance. Delphin Technology offers a tailor-made solution with its platform-independent measurement technology software ProfiSignal 20. ProfiSignal 20 Go displays the measured values live on smartphones, tablets and PCs. A large selection of versatile, configurable diagram types is available, for example the multi-track diagram. This can be used, for example, to identify the temporal relationship between switching signals from relays, contactors and PLCs and the change in analogue measured values at a glance during a fault analysis. The use of hardware-related calculation routines enables the seamless display of live data and historical measured values. Powerful statistical functions for data analysis, a recorder function for carrying out series tests and measurement data export in various file formats round off the range of functions offered by ProfiSignal 20 Go. The "Basic" version of ProfiSignal 20 also enables the creation of individual diagrams for the visualization and control of processes and measurement tasks. A variety of operating and monitoring elements can be combined to create user-defined dashboards. One feature of ProfiSignal 20 that is particularly useful when using the measuring case is the innovative SCACH function. A simple scan of a QR code attached to the system using a smartphone or tablet is enough to bring selected machine data or a complete system visualization to the display of the mobile device. Simple and practical - an ideal tool for maintenance.
Pictures: Delphin
COMPANY
Delphin Technology AG
Lustheide 81 , 51427 Bergisch Gladbach
Phone 02204 / 97685-0
Mail: info@delphin.de
AUTHOR
Sven Jodlauk, Product Manager,
Delphin Technology AG, Bergisch Gladbach