Electricity and Control January 2020

SAFETY OF PLANT, EQUIPMENT + PEOPLE : PRODUCT NEWS

Accelerometer for vibration monitoring Instrotech, the local representative of Monitran, is promoting the general purpose monitoring sensors, for use with PLCs and other industrial controllers. The general purpose monitoring sensors provide users with a continuous output of vibration, usually as a 4-20 mA signal. Changes in the monitor signal allow the user to spot vibration changes in the part of the machine to which the sensor is attached. Rapid changes indicate potentially risky conditions such as machinery working loose from its mountings, fan-blade malfunction, or bearing failure, all of which require immediate attention and machine shutdown to avoid damage and loss of machine time. If the signal is logged at regular intervals, gradually increasing vibration indicates wear in the part of the machine where the sensor is fitted, calling for replacement or detailed study with a portable vibration analyser. This kind of information is required in a wide range of environments, so, while the basic output is common to all sensors in this category, there are many variations that allow them to be used in different environments ranging from: standard industrial conditions, to submersible and long-term wet operations, and they are approved in terms of ATEX, IECEx and ANZEx for use in hazardous areas The long standing 1185/C series is tried and trusted. It is a general purpose, top-entry velocity transducer with dc output, made from robust stainless steel throughout, for continuous vibration monitoring in harsh environments. The unit is sealed to IP67 with industry standard two-wire 4-20 mA output proportional to the sensor range that can connect directly to PLC, DCS and other industrial controllers. The 1185I/C model is ATEX and IECEx Group I & II certified. It has all the 1185’s components with integral stainless over- braided ETFE cable and is available with a range of mountings. The 1185W model is submersible, for harsh underwater environments and areas with constant moisture or condensation. It includes integral heavy-duty polyurethane cable, is sealed to IP68 and is available with a wide range of mountings.

Stakeless earth ground loop testing Testing the grounding components of equipment in hard-to-reach spaces, including areas that are indoors or fully paved and do not permit the driving in of auxiliary test stakes, is challenging. The Fluke 1630-2 FC Stakeless Earth Ground Clamp, available from Comtest, is a high-quality, heavy-duty clamp jaw that stays in alignment and in calibration, even in industrial environments. It makes it possible, while staying on line, to identify ground loop resistance – without the need to disconnect then reconnect the earth electrode from the system. With its dual-clamp jaw, the 1630-2 FC clamp can be used to measure earth ground loop resistances for multi-grounded systems. This test technique eliminates the dangerous and time-consuming activity of disconnecting parallel grounds, as well as the process of finding suitable locations for auxiliary test stakes. Users can also perform ground tests in places that were previously difficult: inside buildings, on power pylons or anywhere there is no access to a ground base in which to place auxiliary test stakes. The 1630-2 FC supports the Fluke Connect Wireless System (in regions where this is available). This wireless system connects the clamp with an app on a smartphone or tablet. The app shows the ground resistance measurements on the respective device display. The measurements, GPS location from the phone and images can be saved to Fluke Connect Cloud storage and shared with the project team. Key features of the Fluke 1630-2 FC include: - Earth ground ac leakage currents can be identified and measured without disconnecting the earth ground stake from the grounding system – making the clamp ideal for system troubleshooting - The rugged heavy-duty clamp jaw stays in alignment and in calibration even in every day, on-the-job industrial environments - The earth ground clamp saves time by automatically recording data at pre-set intervals and saves up to 32 760 measurements in memory at the set logging interval - User-defined high and low alarm limits allow for rapid measurement evaluation - Theselectableband-pass filter function removes unwanted noise from the ac leakage current measurement.

For more information contact Instrotech. Tel: +27 (0)10 595 1831, email: sales@instrotech.co.za

For more information contact Comtest.Tel: +27 (0)10 595 1821 email: sales@comtest.co.za The Fluke 1630-2 FC earth ground clamp enables users to test the grounding components of equipment without having to sink stakes into a ground base.

Monitran’s MTN1185/C series accelerometer, for general purpose vibration monitoring, warns plant operators of potential safety risks on machinery and equipment.

Electricity + Control

JANUARY 2020

25