Sustainability push leads to tangible product innovations

New optical readers convert analog gauges and transducers to wireless, while advanced sensor technologies expand manufacturing energy, environment, and safety capabilities.

-- Control Engineering, 3/18/2009 - Innovation is often more about developing a new use for an existing technology than it is about creating a new technology or product out of whole cloth. Two new innovations—both of which grew out of initiatives to help companies save energy and money—serve as great examples of this fact.

One of these is an array of non-invasive sensing and wireless technologies from Cypress Envirosystems. Some of their products, like the Wireless Gauge Reader, literally snap-on to existing dial gauges to capture and transmit the readings wirelessly. How do these gauge readers do it? According to Harry Sim, CEO of Cypress Envirosystems, the readers optically capture an image of the analog gauge reading, convert it to a digital reading (which is viewable on the front face of the Cypress gauge reader) and enable the data to be transmitted wirelessly to a central or mobile application.

In developing this technology, Cypress Envirosystems has not created a new gauge or method of measurement, but a way to extend the capability of an analog gauge without requiring the removal of old gauges, breaking any seals, or running any wires. In addition, the gauge is IP65/NEMA 4 rated for outdoor use, does not require new enterprise software, and has optional OPC or BACnet interface to existing building or plant automation system.

Cypress also offers a Wireless Transducer Reader for remote monitoring of analog transducers or instruments with the following outputs: 4-20mA, 0-5V or 0-10V, RS-232, RS-485, thermocouple or thermistor. Like the Gauge Reader, the Transducer Reader does not require changing out existing transducers, the breaking of pressure seals or running of new wires. With the transducer data in a digital format, data logging, trend analysis, notification, and statistical process control can be performed.

More solidly on the sustainable engineering front—due to its energy saving potential—is Cypress’ Wireless Steam Trap Monitor. Again, like the gauge and transducer readers, no breaking of seals or running new wires is required. The steam trap monitor detects faults and alarms on error to avoid leak losses with failed traps, which—on an 1/8-in orifice pipe—can cost up to $5,000 a year. Considering that most plants have a 15-20% failure rate on the hundreds of steam traps typically installed in the steam distribution system, this adds up to a considerable savings.

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