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Efficiency during maintenance tours

Mobile computer with barcode scanner and wireless communication
Efficiency during maintenance tours

Explosion-proof mobile computers ensure the timely availability of all relevant data during maintenance tours in refineries. Using radio transmissions to a central maintenance system, early recognition of looming problems is possible in this way. The compact and powerful handheld computer of the MC 9090ex series is a reliable and time-compacted solution for data collection on wide open spaces.

Regular maintenance tours are stipulated by German industrial safety regulations for plants in the petrochemical industry. They are an essential measure to ensure process and safety monitoring and warrant the hi-ghest possible availability. A comprehensive mobile plant administration strategy based on handheld computers in combination with inspection software makes sure that discrepancies are recognised, permitting preventive action to be taken. The time between detecting the problem and implementing the maintenance measures taken can be reduced considerably, so that the maintenance concept is improved with positive effects on overall plant availability.

The robust mobile computers of the Bartec MC 9090ex series are ideally suited as termi-nals for the use in Zone 1 hazardous areas. They are certified to Atex, UL and IECEx and offer all the ergonomic characteristic features and technical properties which are nowadays necessary for industrial applications in the petrochemical and chemical industries or in process engineering. On account of their “intrinsic safety” or “powder-filled enclosure” type of protection, they can be installed directly in Zone 1. The large 3.8“ VGA colour display is readily legible and the touch screen technology model geared to ease of operation. The integrated scan engine ensures powerful recognition of barcodes – even in bright sunshine. The keyboard inserts can be exchanged as required, facilitating different keyboard configurations.
Maintenance instructions in real time
During the maintenance tour, a barcode is used to read in data about the various devices identified in the plant, such as pumps and valves. Thanks to the realtime data exchange with the central maintenance system, the service technician receives immediate instructions regarding the type and extent of the maintenance needed. All automatically measurable properties are available on the mobile computer and can be checked directly. The normal status of non-automatically measurable properties such as leakage, noise or vibration is queried in an automatically opened window. The operator comments on, documents and confirms the maintenance process using the touch panel of the handheld computer. All data measured are thus electronically retrievable from the central system. Handwritten reports are a thing of the past and regular monitoring of the plant is certified by a timestamp. Legal certainty is likewise increased as mandatory safety measures can be proven in an unbroken chain of evidence.
Easy-to-handle unit
The powerful, easy-to-handle pocket computer is a compact unit for complex barcode data acquisition in field use. Robustly designed, it withstands falls from a height of 1.2 m and is suitable for a variety of ambient and working conditions in refineries. The unit is rated for a temperature range from -20 to +40 °C. Owing to its ergonomic design and conveniently placed scanner, it can be operated easily with only one hand.
Replaceable lithium ion battery packs for hazardous areas ensure maximum operating time, so that the unit keeps going throughout the entire tour. If the battery power ever decreases in the middle of a shift, the operator can exchange the pack without any problems. Long and time-consuming walks back to a safe area or the control centre are avoided in this way.
The integrated communication technologies, such as WLAN 802.11 a/b/g or Bluetooth class II, permit a realtime data exchange with the host system. The unit can be synchronised with the existing database using a docking station, even when offline. Text files are used for communication, minimising the effort for system integration. The MC 9090ex series combines the advantages of the Microsoft Windows Mobile platform with the strengths of a reliable processor. Radio standard IEEE 802.11a/b/g is supported.
System architecture
The installed software is based on the Mobile platform as well as Microsoft Excel for tour administration. Ethernet and WLAN synchronisation can be carried out using conventional Microsoft network applications. The simple system architecture means that as a rule no adaptations are required to the existing EDP architecture. Since the software is merely a client application, no server software has to be installed, configured and administered; this is done by Excel. Tours can be structured very flexibly depending on the plant layout, type of inspection and controls, preferred measuring and control point sequence and shift plans.
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