IIoT system provider Everactive has launched its Machine Health Monitoring (MHM) system, a battery-free sensor network designed to monitor the health of rotating equipment such as motors, pumps, fans and compressors. The company expects MHM to provide insights that can prevent critical failures that lead to equipment downtime—something that is costly during normal times, but even more so during the current pandemic.
MHM utilizes the company’s Eversensors, batteryless and wireless sensors powered from low levels of harvested energy such as a warm machine surface or a dim indoor light. The sensors in the MHM system continuously transmit vibration, temperature and magnetic field data to the cloud.
“Our Machine Health Monitoring solution alerts plant operators to critical machine issues in real time and across all machines, resulting in increased uptime, improved equipment efficiency, and reduced energy usage,” said Bob Nunn, CEO of Everactive. “Without the maintenance and waste that comes with batteries, plants can implement predictive maintenance at scale, delivering the type of pervasive remote monitoring that has become all the more vital in the wake of COVID-19.”
MHM data is transmitted every minute via an IoT gateway to Everactive’s cloud-based analytics platform Evercloud. If any problems occur, Evercloud sends real-time alarms via email or SMS based on user-configurable thresholds and the specific profile of the monitored machine.
The batteryless MHM sensors are rated for 20 years without maintenance. The installation process uses either a magnetic, bolt-on or epoxy attachment, and according to Everactive can be completed in under 10 minutes per device.
The Eversensors are also Class I, Division 2 certified to operate in hazardous locations with explosion or fire hazards. The batteryless sensors are IP66 rated and operate between –40°C and 200°C.