Wireless Machine Condition Sensor for Hazardous Duty

SKF (www.skf.com) has launched a new Wireless Machine Condition Sensor that leverages WirelessHART protocol to deliver dynamic vibration and temperature data for condition monitoring and diagnostics. The product has ATEX Zone 0 certification, which means it is appropriate for use in hazardous environments like those found in petrochemical and oil and gas operations, among others. The product combines both sensor and router node into one compact and battery-operated unit the size of a typical industrial accelerometer.

According to SKF, these sensors communicate with each other and with a wireless gateway, thus creating a mesh network that’s well suited for monitoring rotating machinery across large sites, in hard-to-reach locations or where traditional WiFi communications won’t work. Capabilities include relaying data from one node to another and back to the gateway, and receiving automated commands from SKF-supplied Wireless Sensor Device Manager software.

If a node is unable to receive signals directly from the WirelessHART gateway, it sends and receives them through a nearby node that can pass the data to and from the gateway. The WirelessHART gateway communicates with the Device Manager software and automatically exports collected data into SKF @ptitude Analyst, a diagnostic and analytic software tool that helps plant personnel determine a course of action.

Because SKF’s Wireless Machine Condition Sensors run in a low-power-consumption mode, the manufacturer says their batteries can last for years in the field.