Equipment monitoring solutions are crucial for industry, yet many have restrictions and fixed capabilities because they are constrained by battery life. Ultimately, this could be limiting efforts to reduce downtime. What industry needs is an adaptable and flexible solution that can be quickly deployed. Here we discuss how DCO Systems have provided an adaptable solution that has updated and extended monitoring in three different challenging environments and the impact this had on downtime and cost savings.   

DC Motors updated with live motor analysis  

Steel manufacturers have a vast array of equipment ranging from new to legacy, simple to complex. The use of large numbers of legacy direct-current (DC) motors in the plant posed a cost challenge for this company and caused them to be excluded from real-time monitoring efforts. DCO’s adaptable sensors delivered a solution. Flexible power harvesting systems adapted to work with AC ripple on a DC source, and current sensing technology delivered DC to multi-kHz frequency response for live motor current signature analysis. The anticipated return on investment for this enhanced monitoring solution is over 500% in the first year.  

Environmental monitors improved operational efficiency  

A power specialist overseeing a solar farm in Britain already had monitoring solutions in place. Yet, they were missing out on collecting additional important key performance factors. This posed a difficulty as the solar farm is managed by several groups. The information collected was limited. By installing DCO’s easy to deploy, adaptable sensors, the company could add in desired metrics to be monitored above and beyond what they were already getting with their monitoring. The flexibility of DCO’s environmental monitors have meant that technicians can trial and test improvements on different parts of the solar farm. This in turn improved operational efficiency, communication between investment parties and improved cost savings.  

Data collected round the clock in inaccessible UK healthcare sites  

Many healthcare sites are powered by extensive, heavily used and sometimes inaccessible steam networks that pass through multiple kilometres of underground pipework. Lost steam caused by leaks represents wasted fuel and money. Tunnel systems present access challenges with asbestos hazards, high temperatures and crowded tunnels filled with pipework and cabling. Engineers contacted DCO for a remotely accessible, self-contained steam trap monitoring solution ensuring that trap performance data is collected round the clock. A low maintenance solution is important because many of the traps are hard to access. DCO’s sensor provided a perfect solution because it is battery-free and doesn't require additional wiring. As a result, the need for personnel to routinely check traps, or replace batteries, in inaccessible and hazardous locations is eliminated. Furthermore, engineers are notified of leaks when they start. This allows them to quickly address and fix the issue, thus reducing downtime.   

The three examples above are the result of DCO Systems’ adaptable monitoring solutions. They feature a simply plug and play module in which engineers can easily customise the different metrics desired. If the above companies had stuck it out with their current rigid monitoring solutions, their efforts to reduce downtime and improve cost savings would have suffered. To learn more about our adaptable, ready-to-deploy products, go to https://dcosystems.co.uk/ or email: info@dcosystems.co.uk.