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Customer Success Story: Improved diagnostic information resulted in significant cost savings

Customer Success Story: Improved diagnostic information resulted in significant cost savings

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A company who has relied on PR Electronics products used the data provided by the PR4511 communication enabler to develop software modules in the DCS that provide full diagnostics. The client company has been able to use the data for preventive maintenance.

With the 4511 mounted on PR 4000/9000 devices, it is possible to get digital access to process values and benefit from extensive diagnostic capabilities. Regular monitoring of data throughout the manufacturing process can help plan for preventative maintenance, identify problems in advance and save cost.

Diagnostics data for preventive maintenance

The 4511 offers several ways to access process data. One option is Commander / Responder (Master / Slave) connection via Modbus RTU. The HMI interface then allows for easy monitoring of process values and diagnostics-which can be used for preventative maintenance.

The data available depends on the type of installed PR devices. The PR 4114 universal transmitter, for example, offers a wide range of process and device diagnostics related to device output, input, sensor, etc.

Reduced maintenance cover

The company that we are highlighting is based in the North West of England, specializes in all aspects of instrumentation and electrical control systems, On a recent project, the company used data provided by the 4511 to develop software modules in the DCS that provides full diagnostics and status information on the operators control screen.

Director of the company explains:

“on the outside, 4511 may look like a simple communication enabler, but the goodness of it is inside… On one of our projects we have used it to generate real-time process data – which is shown on the operators control screen. The data is now used for preventive maintenance. Using the diagnostic information we have been able to visualize on the screen, our client company has been able to significantly reduce maintenance cost. The 4511 diagnostics and our software have accounted for 80% of the fault finding process.

The solution has also simplified the customers daily operation.

The software interface we have developed for this customer shows the operator exactly which signals are down. He immediately knows what is wrong and can act accordingly. There is nothing better that having someone tell you whats wrong, before you have to get the manual out -it makes taking care of daily operation a lot easier”.

Example of screen showing diagnostics data. Courtesy of SHP Automation and PR Electronics. In this example of the faceplate on the right has lost its signal and displays ‘0’ as one would expect with an open loop. In the lower part of the face plate the operator gets the ‘LO_LO’ alarm and a ‘LOOP_BRK’ alarm to indicate a loop fault. When the operator presses the ‘detail’ button (bottom left with the magnifying glass) it opens the detail window shown on the left. The 4511 diagnostics alarms at the lower left show an open loop being detected and the under range signal. The operator feeds this information to the maintenance team who now only has to find the broken cable.

The PR 4114 universal transmitter, for example, offers the following diagnostics:

Process diagnostics

OUTPUT UNDERRANGE

OUTPUT OVERRANGE

OUTPUT LOW LIMITED

INPUT UNDERRANGE

SENSOR SHORTED

SENSOR BROKEN

Device diagnostics

AD COMM. ERROR

CJC ERROR

RAM ERROR

EEP ERROR

FLASH ERROR

NOT CALIBRATED

BAD OUTPUT

NO OUTPUT

OUTPUT SUPPLY ERROR

INPUT SUPPLY ERROR

EXT. FLASH ERROR

The 4511 communication enabler

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