Chemical Technology July 2015

Single device IS barriers offer greater flexibility

Booyco Electronics IS barriers offer the advantage of being single-device units with each serving as an isolation barrier on a communication bus between a non- hazardous and hazardous area in a mine or plant environment. These locally manu- factured barriers are engineered for use in all hazardous areas and can be used across both the mining, chemical and petro- chemical sectors. Compact in design and easy to use, the IS barriers are robustly constructed and suitable for use in both surface and under- ground environments. As part of its drive to provide fit-for-pur- pose solutions, Booyco Electronics applied alternative battery technology to develop the IS-UPS. This uninterruptible power supply (UPS) offers reliable performance under the harshest operating conditions. The unit is locally manufactured under stringent quality management systems and meets all statu- tory regulations pertaining to IS equipment. This innovative technology provides a direct current output of 12 V or 24 V or a com- bination of both for extended periods of time. It is suitable for a number of critical applica- tions, includingmaintaining communications systems and fire detection systems. The units can be supplied in multiple outputs to cater for individual application requirements. By combining the IS battery with the In a market where the online condition monitoring trend is gaining prominence, and diagnostics and predictive maintenance strategies are becoming more important in understanding the causes for machine fail- ure, Frost & Sullivan has awarded Setpoint with the 2014 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Leadership. Companies that are able to effectively deliver and communicate the value and cost benefits of such hardware and software condition monitoring solutions are expected to be highly successful in this market. The Setpoint story began in 2010 when Metrix Instrument Company embarked on efforts to expand into the API 670 monitor- ing market. Faced with the challenge of fur- ther growth, a strategic decision was made to develop an offering that would allow the business to enter the systems market. A team of experienced individuals was assembled to build and lead the new Set- point product line. Within18 months, the Setpoint platform was developed and the first units were shipped. Dozens of innova- tions were embedded in this new system,

FOCUS ON CONTROL & INSTRUMENTATION

For more information contact Anton Lourens on tel: 0861 BOOYCO (266926), anton@booyco-electronics.co.za or go to www.booyco-electronics.co.za z

IS-UPS, the dangers associated with a con- ventional UPS will be eliminated. Another feature is that this unit is housed in a far lighter and more cost-effective explosion proof enclosure.

Frost & Sullivan recognizes Setpoint’s condition monitoring solution

inventing a real time data infrastructure and simply using the PI System instead. It was also able to tap directly into the huge installed base of PI System users globally, eliminating the need for the customer to invest in a separate condition monitoring software system. This results in significant cost savings by utilising an already existing software platform in the PI System, instead of making additional investments into IT and operations infrastructure and maintaining two separate ecosystems. In a market characterised by limited technology progress and development, Setpoint’s innovative approach to product development has produced several unique solutions, resolving the most critical chal- lenges of its customers. Users have also responded positively, despite the presence of market incumbents. For more information contact Steve Herbst at Prei Instrumentation on tel: +27 11 867 5001, email: steve.herbst@prei.co.za or go to www.prei.co.za z

including a self-contained ‘universal’ monitoring module (UMM) that could be configured do any required measurements in a single module type. In 2011, the Setpoint team added condi- tion monitoring software to its portfolio and entered into a partnership with OSIsoft, the maker of the PI System software. Together, they showed that high-bandwidth, sub- millisecond vibration waveform data could be streamed directly into a PI database. In less than 12 months, the performance capabilities of the PI System continued along its Moore’s Law trajectory, doubling in speed and making high-speed, online vi- bration data collection completely practical. The Setpoint team’s decision to harness the power and installed base of the PI Sys- tem, rather than developing a stand-alone condition monitoring infrastructure, has been recognized as insightful and strategic. The PI System is a real time data infrastruc- ture that captures, manages, analyzes, and visualizes, real-time data. Strategically, the Setpoint team was able to reduce time to market by not re-

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Chemical Technology • July 2015