AMS Machine Works brings an integrated workflow and comprehensive analysis experience with the AMS Asset Monitor Interface

At Emerson, we are always trying to improve plant reliability by innovating on new devices, data collection techniques, and analysis tools. The next release of AMS Machine Works, v1.7, is around the corner (to be released in Spring-Summer 2022), and this update can now interface with AMS Asset Monitor. This release focuses on addressing the following areas.

1. Bring AMS Asset Monitor data in AMS Machine Works
2. Develop an Integrated and simplified workflow for AMS Asset Monitor
3. Provide an improved data collection and analysis experience with AMS Asset Monitor
4. Address several customer needs and requests made in the recent years
5. Develop a clean and consistent user interface

Introduction

AMS Machine Works v1.7 introduces a new interface to connect with AMS Asset Monitor. AMS Asset Monitor is an edge analytics device that brings the benefits of online monitoring for your balance-of-plant (BOP) assets utilizing CHARMs-based technology to collect both vibration and process data from BOP assets. Operations, process, and reliability staff can monitor plant assets with the web interface available inside the AMS Asset Monitor. With the introduction of AMS Machine Works v1.7, the users can now bring the AMS Asset Monitor data into AMS Machine Works for long-term storage and analysis.

What's special about this v1.7 release is the extent of user collaboration and customer engagement that drove several user-driven capabilities to the forefront of this product, making it the most exciting release for the AMS Machine Works team.

This article focuses on six key features in AMS Machine Works v1.7 & the overall solution with AMS Asset Monitor v2.1 often highlighted by our pre-release users, SMEs, and beta customers. For a more comprehensive list of features, contact your Emerson representative.

1. Simple, and easy to use AMS Asset Monitor Web Interface

The AMS Asset Monitor is completely configurable using a simple and easy-to-use web interface. The configuration workflow is pretty straightforward and intuitive. The configuration pages for CHARMs, External Data Points, Predicates, Assets, Data collections, Users, and 'System' are logically arranged and easily accessible through the side menu at all times. The ability to bring external data points such as speed from other systems through OPCUA or Modbus to AMS Asset Monitor makes the scalar values also available in AMS Machine Works. This capability brings a lot of value for vibration analysis in situations where a hard-wired tach or speed input is unavailable. The Data collections enable the AMS Asset Monitor to publish waveforms (Normal @ 400 Hz / 1 kHz / 8.1 kHz) and PeakVue @ 500 Hz / 1 kHz) from applicable CHARMS accessible by AMS Machine Works. The Data collection can be configured in conjunction with 'Predicates' which helps in meaningful data collection. The AMS Asset Monitor connection to the AMS Machine Works interface comes with added security features requiring a dedicated AMS Machine Works user role with a username and password to be used to establish a secure connection.

Customer | The AMS Asset Monitor web interface is very easy to use. The application elements are intuitive and purposeful.

2. Analysis Dashboard Enhancements

The Analysis dashboard web application in AMS Machine Works now brings the System view, List view, and Analysis view of all the monitored assets and devices to form a tightly integrated asset and device-centric application. Using Human-Centered Design and the latest UI/UX design techniques, the Analysis Dashboard aims to deliver a seamless digital customer experience by bringing data from various data sources, displaying information in a holistic view centered around customers' assets, and focusing on consistency and simplicity of displaying information, presentation, and user actions. With these improvements, we hope to achieve better customer engagement by efficiently providing the information needed by the user and helping them complete their analysis and actions quickly.

Beta User | The AMS Machine Works web applications looks more modern, clean and more usable than ever before.

3. Integrated Workflow

With the AMS Asset Monitor Interface, the overall configuration workflow is more integrated and simplified. With a few steps, the user will be ready to start collecting and analyzing data. All these steps can be performed from a web browser. The configuration starts with the AMS Asset Monitor (device). Connect all sensors to CHARMS, power up the device, prepare the device using the Web UI for data collection, connect the device to AMS Machine Works, Configure the data collections (what data and how often), create machine trains, and map the CHARMS to measurement points and start collecting and analyzing data. All these seven steps should take less than 30 minutes if you have all the field activities such as wiring and sensor configuration and placement completed with the device.

SME | I can do all the configuration steps using a web browser. I don't have to install any other software other than AMS Machine Works. This is a great improvement from existing interfaces.

4. Improved Architecture and better scalability

As we walk our journey to become a cloud-native application in the near future, we have created the new AMS Asset Monitor Interface (as shown below) to be more cloud-ready, scalable, and efficient. With v1.7, the new AMS Asset Monitor Interface can support several hundred AMS Asset Monitors in a single instance. The new architecture, introduced primarily for the AMS Asset Monitor Interface, introduces a highly efficient data streaming service that is agile, scalable, secure, and highly performant and is comparable with modern streaming applications.

Solution Architect | By allowing the user to allocate one AMS Asset Monitor Interface Server for several hundred AMS Asset Monitors, we need lot less servers for the overall solution, saving $$ in run-time costs for the customer.

5. Simplified Store on Alert for AMS Asset Monitor Interface

The Store-on-Alert (SoA) workflow in AMS Machine Works v1.7 has been simplified for AMS Asset Monitor. For all AMS Asset Monitors interfaced with AMS Machine Works v1.7, SoA is automatically enabled for all alerts. All the measurements selected to be stored for long-term storage are automatically stored when an alert is triggered.

Beta User | This capability saves a lot of time during configuration. What I like about this feature is that I get all the data during an alert and when I analyse the data (waveforms, spectra and trends) that is stored, it gets tagged as 'SoA', which is very useful to know during analysis.

6. Embedded Platform Enhancements

After listening to several customers and users, we optimized the applications such as Asset Explorer, User Manager, and Event Viewer with features relevant to AMS Machine Works. As part of the revamp, all the applications were branded to AMS Machine Works.

Beta User | All applications are tightly integrated and work nicely with each other.

Conclusion

AMS Machine Works v1.7 is certainly a big step forward, bringing AMS Asset Monitor as the newest addition to the family of vibration devices interfaced with AMS Machine Works.

While AMS Machine Works is already in its second major release, our journey with AMS Machine Works has only begun. We are working hard to bring the AMS 2140 Portable Analyzer to AMS Machine Works in v1.8 and AMS 6500 in future releases, along with improving the user experience by adding more capabilities to Analysis Dashboard. Our aspirations to become a cloud-native product is pushing us to make bigger technology investments and commitments. A big 'Thanks' to our users for using & supporting our product, as we continue our mission to make AMS Machine Works, the best in class Machinery Health Management software in the market.

To learn more about AMS Machine Works and AMS Asset Monitor, please contact your local Emerson representative.