ABB Selling “Wearables” for Machines
ABB, a provider of automation products for companies in the industrial, utility and transportation sectors, has announced a new sensor that it describes as a wearable for low-voltage induction motors, such as three-phase squirrel cage induction motors, which are used widely in industrial settings. While some low-voltage induction motors perform critical functions and are, therefore, maintained regularly (or might be included in a condition-monitoring system that uses sensors to alert maintenance teams when a motor is likely to have a performance problem), many low-voltage motors perform non-critical functions and are thus not closely monitored. Still, a failure in one of these motors can lead to downtime or a reduction in output.
The ABB sensor is mounted to a motor and collects data related to its temperature and vibration. Based on this, its microcontroller can ascertain the health of the motor’s rotor, bearings, cooling functions and energy efficiency. The sensor is battery-powered (ABB is exploring the possibilty of replacing the battery, in the future, with an energy-harvesting module). It encrypts the data it collects and, via a Bluetooth connection, forwards it to either a gateway device or to plant workers’ smartphones running an ABB app, to ABB’s cloud-based servers. From there, the sensor data is sent to ABB’s condition-monitoring system, which decrypts and analyzes it.
ABB has completed testing of the new sensor and will begin taking orders at the Hannover Messe trade show, taking place in Germany on Apr. 25-29, 2016. Pricing has not yet been released.
Netclearance Announces All-in-One Employee Badge
Netclearance, a maker of multi-sensor beacons and software designed for a range of business applications, such as optimizing workflows and tracking assets, has introduced a new product called the mBeaconCard. Approximately the size of a credit card, the mBeaconCard contains a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, as well as a Bluetooth radio. It can be used not just as an identity card or badge, but also to enable workers to make purchases using its NFC module, as well as to track the locations of employees on job premises, by utilizing the card’s Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio. Alternatively, the card could also be mounted to high-value mobile assets and be used to track their indoor locations.
The basic mBeaconCard configuration contains a microprocessor, a BLE radio and an NFC module. But customers can also order a version that comes with an embedded accelerometer, a vibration sensor and a magnetic sensor—either a compass or a reed switch—in order to support a wider range of applications, such as those requiring movement to trigger tracking.
The BLE radio is used to transmit sensor data or information written to the mBeaconCard’s 2 kilobytes of memory, explains David Fernandez, Netclearance’s founder and CEO. It transmits data packets to mBeaconGW, Netclearance’s beacon gateway appliance, or to nearby smartphones running the Netclearance mobile application.
Netclearance’s mCloud Content Management System software is used to collect and manage the data transmitted by the badge, and from there it can be sent to Netclearance’s business application or analytics software. Conversely, the data can be forwarded to third-party applications or analytics platforms via an application programming interface. Using the mBeaconGW gateway and an external NFC reader, employers can set up an access-control system. If the badge is being used for room-level tracking, Fernandez says, location can be determined to within a few meters.
Pricing information has not yet been released, but Netclearance will demonstrate the mBeaconCard and its full product portfolio at the RFID Journal LIVE! 2016 conference and exhibition, taking place on May 3-5, in Orlando, Fla., in the Internet of Things Pavilion (booth #728B).
Teradata Launches Skunkworks Program, Updates Listener
Teradata, an analytics services provider, has launched a new project within its research arm, Teradata Labs. Known as the SpecialOps IoT Analytics Team, it is made up of a group of data scientists, data engineers and software designers tasked with building new, cloud-based analytic solutions and services to simplify advanced analytics, data movement and database management for the Internet of Things.
The team is applying machine learning to Teradata’s analytics tools in order to quickly solve complex performance issues and workload congestion. This will help improve the ability of Teradata’s data-analytics products to support early-warning and predictive-maintenance applications for vital machinery, the company reports, based on the processing of sensory data.
Teradata has also announced that it has updated its Listener data-collection program to consume streaming sensory data. This, in turn, will simplify the process of sending this data to the Teradata Unified Data Architecture, either on-premises or in the cloud.
Dell Launches IoT Solutions Partner Program
Dell has begun an IoT Solutions Partner Program that is designed to help its customers and partners identify technologies and products to develop their IoT solutions—using Dell hardware, of course, including the Dell Edge Gateway, which supports Microsoft Windows 10 and is Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT. The program launched with more than 20 partners including General Electric, SAP, Software AG and OSIsoft. Through the program, Dell will connect partners and customers with its network of independent software vendors.
The partners are creating use cases designed to help customers speed up IoT project development. For example, Dell has worked with Kepware, a maker of factory automation devices, and enterprise software provider Software AG to create a set of best practices for deploying a predictive maintenance platform.
Dell also worked with Microsoft and Blue Pillar to offer a packaged solution to help utilities support a demand-response program to improve grid reliability and empower customers to control their energy costs and consumption, while also deploying onsite power generation.