Chemical Technology July 2015

37 / 40

35
Chemical Technology • July 2015
Booyco Electronics IS barriers offer the
advantage of being single-device units
with each serving as an isolation barrier
on a communication bus between a non-
hazardous and hazardous area in a mine
or plant environment. These locally manu-
factured barriers are engineered for use
in all hazardous areas and can be used
across both the mining, chemical and petro-
chemical sectors.
Compact in design and easy to use, the
IS barriers are robustly constructed and
suitable for use in both surface and under-
ground environments.
As part of its drive to provide fit-for-pur-
pose solutions, Booyco Electronics applied
alternative battery technology to develop the
IS-UPS. This uninterruptible power supply
(UPS) offers reliable performance under the
harshest operating conditions. The unit is
locally manufactured under stringent quality
management systems and meets all statu-
tory regulations pertaining to IS equipment.
This innovative technology provides a
direct current output of 12 V or 24 V or a com-
bination of both for extended periods of time.
It is suitable for a number of critical applica-
tions, includingmaintaining communications
systems and fire detection systems. The units
can be supplied in multiple outputs to cater
for individual application requirements.
By combining the IS battery with the
IS-UPS, the dangers associated with a con-
ventional UPS will be eliminated. Another
feature is that this unit is housed in a far
lighter and more cost-effective explosion
proof enclosure.
For more information contact Anton Lourens
on tel: 0861 BOOYCO (266926),
or go to
z
Single device IS barriers offer greater flexibility
FOCUS ON CONTROL & INSTRUMENTATION
In a market where the online condition
monitoring trend is gaining prominence, and
diagnostics and predictive maintenance
strategies are becoming more important in
understanding the causes for machine fail-
ure, Frost & Sullivan has awarded Setpoint
with the 2014 Global Frost & Sullivan Award
for Customer Value Leadership. Companies
that are able to effectively deliver and
communicate the value and cost benefits
of such hardware and software condition
monitoring solutions are expected to be
highly successful in this market.
The Setpoint story began in 2010 when
Metrix Instrument Company embarked on
efforts to expand into the API 670 monitor-
ing market. Faced with the challenge of fur-
ther growth, a strategic decision was made
to develop an offering that would allow the
business to enter the systems market.
A team of experienced individuals was
assembled to build and lead the new Set-
point product line. Within18 months, the
Setpoint platform was developed and the
first units were shipped. Dozens of innova-
tions were embedded in this new system,
including a self-contained ‘universal’
monitoring module (UMM) that could be
configured do any required measurements
in a single module type.
In 2011, the Setpoint team added condi-
tion monitoring software to its portfolio and
entered into a partnership with OSIsoft, the
maker of the PI System software. Together,
they showed that high-bandwidth, sub-
millisecond vibration waveform data could
be streamed directly into a PI database.
In less than 12 months, the performance
capabilities of the PI System continued
along its Moore’s Law trajectory, doubling
in speed and making high-speed, online vi-
bration data collection completely practical.
The Setpoint team’s decision to harness
the power and installed base of the PI Sys-
tem, rather than developing a stand-alone
condition monitoring infrastructure, has
been recognized as insightful and strategic.
The PI System is a real time data infrastruc-
ture that captures, manages, analyzes, and
visualizes, real-time data.
Strategically, the Setpoint team was
able to reduce time to market by not re-
inventing a real time data infrastructure
and simply using the PI System instead. It
was also able to tap directly into the huge
installed base of PI System users globally,
eliminating the need for the customer to
invest in a separate condition monitoring
software system. This results in significant
cost savings by utilising an already existing
software platform in the PI System, instead
of making additional investments into IT and
operations infrastructure and maintaining
two separate ecosystems.
In a market characterised by limited
technology progress and development,
Setpoint’s innovative approach to product
development has produced several unique
solutions, resolving the most critical chal-
lenges of its customers. Users have also
responded positively, despite the presence
of market incumbents.
For more information contact Steve Herbst at
Prei Instrumentation on tel: +27 11 867
5001, email: or go
to z
Frost & Sullivan recognizes Setpoint’s condition monitoring solution