Asset Management

The increasing use of Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) to select the most appropriate maintenance strategy for each asset is leading to a growing requirement for effective predictive maintenance systems to be applied to many types of equipment. Although conventional condition monitoring systems have gone some way to providing this capability for the most critical and expensive equipment, they are often seen as too complicated for a broader range of assets.

The Artesis predictive maintenance system aims to provide all the benefits of traditional condition monitoring systems at a fraction of the complication and cost. Artesis monitors use an intelligent, model-based approach to provide complete monitoring and diagnostic capabilities for most electric motor driven equipment, as well as generators and alternators.

Each Motor Condition Monitor (MCM) unit covers a complete motor and the equipment driven by it, and is typically installed in the motor control cabinet. Since connections are required only to the motor supply cables, installation costs are low with no need to access the driven equipment for any sensor installation. Once installed, the system trains itself to recognise normal performance, following which it continuously monitors the equipment for possible faults. When such a fault is detected, the system provides a diagnosis of one of a wide range of mechanical and electrical problems, and indicates severity so that the user can make decisions on the most appropriate intervention.

Because the Artesis system is simple to install and requires little user intervention in operation, it combines low start-up costs with the significant benefits of predictive maintenance. Since it doesn’t require any sensor installation on the equipment itself, Artesis MCM is a particularly good solution for inaccessible equipment like tower fans, and is applicable to most types of pumps, compressors, and materials handing systems. Artesis PCM (Plant Condition Monitor) extends this cover to auxiliary generators and alternators.

A wide range of communications options are available, allowing users to integrate the Artesis system with their existing control and data acquisition or maintenance management architectures. Where facilities are spread across a wide geographic area, and may also be difficult to reach, a typical installation will combine automated alerts using email messages with centralised on-line monitoring screens.

The low cost and modularity of the system allows it to be rolled out progressively as part of a retrofit program, only requiring access to motor or generator control cabinets. Inclusion in new-build programmes can be even more cost effective, with automated system set-up taking place during the commissioning phase with minimal effort.