Pressure gauges enable facilities to keep their pulse on equipment pressure with routine checks and scheduled maintenance operations. But what the standard pressure gauge does not allow for is consistent, over-time data collection; whether it’s important to keep ongoing data for analysis, or to gather information from hard-to-reach or remote sites, centralized collection enables equipment condition monitoring. WIKA’s hybrid intelliGAUGE® offers the ability for engineers and technicians to be in two places at once: monitoring critical pressures instantly and over time.
intelliGAUGE Features
WIKA Instrument Corporation developed the intelliGAUGE® pressure gauge in order to provide for on-going intelligence gathering—around-the-clock readings that reveal both consistencies and inconsistencies in pressure levels. Comprising a mechanical gauge combined with an analog output signal, this hybrid is a transmitter and gauge in one.
When both spikes and drops in pressure are revealed through the monitoring of this intelligent device, it facilitates troubleshooting and predictive maintenance, fending off potential workflow problems and unplanned shutdowns. If an operator is monitoring a gauge once a day, it’s unlikely that vibration or excess heat will be noticed, but with the electronic output system—monitoring data over time—it’s far easier to see peaks, spikes, and fluctuations. It’s also likely that a technician is monitoring dozens of gauges throughout the day. With this hybrid, technicians do not need to be next to the gauge to gather long-term data to support diagnostic insights. Missing a noticeable spike in vibration or heat can mean missing signs that a critical piece of equipment is about to fail; the intelliGAUGE® helps avoid that potential trouble.
Another valued asset of intelliGAUGE® is that, because it’s a combined gauge, only one port to the system is necessary. By having just one connection to the process and no elastomer sealing elements required, the gauge offers better long-term leak tightness. The more you reduce the number of gauge ports to the machinery, continuing to collect the same data, the fewer potential leak points.
These unique WIKA pressure gauges are easy-to-read and offer both local display and the transmission of data to a remote control room. The local analog display can operate independent of a power source due to the coexistence of a mechanical measuring system and electronic signal processing. The pressure gauge’s display sensitivity ranges from 0/15 PSI to 0/8,000 PSI. Construction materials vary based on the model; some, including Type PGT43.100, are constructed of stainless steel with a solid front and blow-out back. The intelliGAUGE hybrid is customizable, but off-the-shelf choices include Bourdon tube, low pressure or differential gauge options, or an instrument with a diaphragm for additional protection , and. The plug-and-play feature makes for quick, no-hassle installation.
intelliGAUGE® Applications
This “smart” gauge that communicates remotely is beneficial in a variety of applications, from the medical and gene technology industries to the compressed natural gas and automotive industries. The standard version, Type PGT11, is most commonly used for monitoring water pressure changes in heating plants (wall-mounted boilers, free-standing boilers); because it uses a non-contact sensor, it’s wear free.
The stainless steel versions (including PGT23) of this pressure gauge-transmitter combination are ideal for corrosive environments as well as environments where gaseous and liquid media do not obstruct the pressure system. While in the past only high purity gauges for process industries were accompanied by an output signal, today applications in the medical industry are increasingly common, as these gauges offer both mechanical backup and remote data collection.
Likewise, these hybrid pressure gauges are ideal for the compressed natural gas (CNG) industry, a growing sector of the transportation industry. While liquefied natural gas (LNG) is more common, the CGN vehicle industry is growing and fairly common in the public transport sphere (12-15% of public transport buses). CNG, compressed natural gas, requires high compression (typically stored at a pressure of 3000 or 3600 psi). In engine operation, for example, operators need both a local readout and information on the dashboard. Type PGT15nbsp;is designed to measure the filling pressure in gas tanks for CNG vehicles.
A gauge that can predict the future by chronicling the past is the perfect choice for forward-thinking companies. Investing in intelligent upgrades to processes and equipment helps avoid unnecessary maintenance or shutdowns due to problems that could have been avoided by employing intelligent pressure gauges for improved performance.