Environmental Monitoring inside a Machine Control Panel
Application: Monitor temperature and humidity inside machine control panels to optimize uptime and performance
Challenges: Machine location, access to the control panel, and spatial constraints inside the cabinet
Solution: M12 Temperature and Humidity Sensors, Q45TH Wireless Nodes, a Wireless TL70 Tower Light, and a DXM100 Wireless Controller
Benefits: Compact sensor and node pairing take up a minimal amount of space inside a control panel. Wireless communication enables remote access to environmental data.
Background
Problems inside a machine control panel can often go unnoticed. Excessive heat or humidity can be indicative of potentially serious problems and may lead to a complete shutdown of equipment. Even the slightest rise above acceptable levels can have detrimental effects on the performance and longevity of components inside the cabinet and the entire machine. Over time, small problems can become major issues that impact machine performance and uptime.
Solution
M12 Temperature and Humidity Sensors are used to monitor conditions inside each control panel. Each sensor is directly connected to a Q45TH, a self-contained, battery powered wireless node that easily integrates into a robust, scalable Sure Cross® wireless network.
Environmental information from inside each control panel is transmitted from the Q45TH Wireless Nodes to a DXM100 Wireless Controller, which logs the data and communicates status updates to other devices on the network. Using either the internal cellular module or a direct wired connection to the local area network (LAN), the DXM100 can send the collected data to a Cloud Webserver or PLC for remote monitoring and analysis.
If conditions inside a panel are outside of operator-established parameters, the DXM100 will send an alert to the operator and support staff via text or email. Local indication of the problem is provided by the LED light on the Q45TH, which will flash yellow as a warning and red as an alert if the problem persists or accelerates. A network-connected TL70 Wireless Tower Light in a central location receives status updates from the DXM100 and will provide high-visibility indication of any change in condition for each machine.
Features and Benefits
Feature | Benefit |
---|---|
Feature Temperature and Humidity Monitoring | Benefit Monitor multiple Q45TH Wireless Temperature and Humidity Nodes. |
Feature Warning and Alarms | Benefit User configurable settings for up to eight alerts per device with low and high levels for warnings and alarms on both temperature and humidity. |
Feature Local Indication Lights | Benefit Local alert indication available by enabling lights on the Q45TH Nodes: yellow = warning, red = alarm |
Feature Remote Master Light | Benefit Utilize wireless TL70 Tower Light or a Wireless K70 Indicator as a master light to indicate any warnings or alarms. |
Feature Alerts and Notifications | Benefit Generate SMS text and/or email alerts based on specific events |
Feature Time Stamped Logging | Benefit Cyclical time-stamped logging available to monitor temperature, humidity and alerts over time. |
Feature IIoT / Cloud Monitoring | Benefit Push data to Cloud webserver or PLC (via LAN or cellular connection) for remote viewing, alerting, and logging |