What's New in AMS Suite: Machinery Health Manager

AMS Machinery Manager is CSI's 32-bit Windows condition monitoring software that replaces MasterTrend. Having the technical hardware tools to monitor machines is important and necessary, but without a powerful software system to set these equipment up and also to store and analyze the data collected you would be left with a half baked cake in implementing a successful RBM program. AMS Machinery Manager combines simplicity of initial setup with robust power when data analysis and diagnosis is needed to become the complete condition monitoring software for all personnel ranging from the PdM analyst to plant management. AMS Machinery Manager's complete integration of condition monitoring technologies from database creation through analysis and reporting, provides the analyst with the tools and information needed to detect, diagnose, confirm, and possibly correct any impending electrical or mechanical anomalies.

In developing AMS Machinery Manager, CSI tried to keep the customer in mind. We focused most of our attention to areas of the software where customers indicated we were not as strong and made less changes to areas where customers said we excelled. One of the goals was to have a new 32-bit software, but not to change it so much that existing customers would not know how to use it and have a steep learning curve. Therefore, what we ended up with is a software that has some brand new or totally redesigned applications, to others that have a more familiar look and feel with minimal changes.

General Changes

AMS Machinery Manager is now a 32-bit software structure which will require a 32-bit operating system to operate.

AMS Machinery Manager databases will use the .RBM extension rather than the old .dat extension that was used in MasterTrend. MasterTrend databases and supporting files will require a database conversion to get into the 32-bit structure format that is recognized by AMS Machinery Manager.

The component information, bearing files, motor files, etc. has been improved and will continue to be improved in the future software releases as information from Emerson Electric sister manufacturing companies in these areas becomes available.

The default database hierarchical structure has not changed, but the naming convention has changed from stations and machines to areas and equipment. This provides for a technology independent way of describing the contents of the plant.

Help System

One major new feature of AMS Machinery Manager is the online HTML Help system. The Help system is the HTML version of the printed user manual. Every word contained in the printed manual is included in the Help system. As a result, the new Help system contains substantially more information for the user than did the old Winhelp message-based system.

When the user presses the F1 or the Help tool bar button, Help for the AMS Machinery Manager menu or window currently active is brought up in a browser(MS Explorer) window. The user can then navigate to related information using hot links, the Table of Contents (displayed in the left in a frame), the index page, word searches, and the forward and backward buttons.

RBMwizard

One of the areas that CSI heard from customers that we could improve on was the area of simplifying database creation. Without removing or drastically changing the existing database creation tool DBASE, CSI created and added the program called RBMwizard.

RBMwizard creates new multi-technology databases through a drag and drop graphical user interface. CSI has embedded knowledge about condition monitoring setup with several technologies on different equipment in the RBMwizard program. The user then graphically builds the machine train and advances through screens making choices and answering questions about the characteristics of the equipment to be monitored. RBMwizard then applies the appropriate Analysis Parameter Sets, Alarm Limit Sets, and Measurement Points based on the information the user inputs into the software. Fault Frequency information is accessed from the user inputs and used in Plotadata and Nspectr. The RBMwizard makes it possible for a novice condition monitoring technician to create and implement a properly setup condition monitoring database without having to be a condition monitoring expert. At the same time the database is being created in the RBMwizard, the machine configuration for Nspectr is simultaneously created for automated diagnostics. Right click functionality has also been added to the RBMwizard for cut, copy, paste for addition of multiples of identical equipment being monitored in the facility. One advantage of these components built in the wizard would be for consistency in database setup for companies with multiple facilities that would like to share data or experiences and would have some commonality with each other's setup for comparison.

RBMview

RBMview replaces the old MasterTrend programs called Compil and Autoreport. RBMview is a central repository for all analysis information regardless of technology and the cases histories and problems associated with that analysis. Many programs feed information into the RBMview database such as Nspectr diagnostics, Export results, and also links to the analysis programs like Plotdata, OilView, MotorView, Infranalysis, etc. Multiple problems can be attached to case histories regardless of technology or AMS Machinery Manager database.

RBMview is made up of two sections: 1. Status at a Glance 2. Case History Manager

Status at glance has a graphical view of the summary level of the state of the equipment in the database regardless of technology. For instance if the Exception analysis report is setup to run automatically upon download of new data then any alarms that have been exceeded would be posted to the RBMview database and the point in alarm would turn the equipment the appropriate color based off the severity of the alarm which would filter to the area and then up to turn the database icon the alarm color. A user could then drill down in the RBMview database tree to see more detailed information about the state of all equipment in their respective areas. The other analysis programs can post information to RBMview in a similar manner. If different maintenance groups have responsibilities for different technologies then they can get multi-technology information through the RBMview program on monitored equipment in the plant from the other condition monitoring groups.

Case History Manager manages all case histories and their associated problems, descriptions, attached plots or pictures in a similar hierarchical structure as the database. By using fault wizards to document the problems and findings in a process oriented manner, consistency in reporting and documenting can be achieved and better utilized by being able to perform queries and filters on the results data. The case history manager also can generate service requests to be sent to a CMMS for work order generation or if no CMMS is available the user could generate a work order in RBMview. All diagnostic information can be recorded and then extracted to other applications through a variety of methods like ASCII text files, ODBC drivers, and MIMOSA(Machinery Information Management Open Systems Alliance) data exchange conventions. So whether you need to get the raw data or just the results of the analysis into some other software application, using one of the methods above makes AMS Machinery Manager very open to data extraction.

CSI recognizes that managing the immense amount of different types of data from a condition monitoring program can be a daunting task that can make or break even the most well intended Reliability Programs if not given the right tools for data management. Embedded within RBMview is a report generator for running many different types of reports. Depending who your end reader of the information is going to be, the user can decide how technical or what type of information is displayed on the report. The user could generate a report on how many bearing faults the facility experienced in 1997, how much savings your RBM program incurred for the company in the 2nd quarter, or a multi-technology fault diagnosis. The RBMview reporting capabilities have expanded to provide a wide variety of information rather than just focusing on the individual equipment health findings. Very sophisticated graphing capabilities of varying styles, 3-dimensional graphs, colors, fonts etc. combine to make the most effective Reliability information transfer possible.

Main Menu

A new look and feel was created for the main menu, which divides the available programs into three category tabs: Database setup/Communication; Analysis; and Reporting. Technologies are listed in a docking toolbar which controls which programs are actually visible to the user. Right click functionality has been added for easier access to some tool bar functions.

RBMadmin

This program allows AMS Machinery Manager to be better run in network installations. The databases are now accessed by AMS Machinery Manager applications via this "client/server" approach. The enhancements for network applications are carried forward for the single user applications as well. Databases to be accessed on the database server by the software will need to be registered though the server by running the RBMadmin program; however, the databases placed in the database server's default directory will be automatically registered. The network administrator (or user in the single user system)can add, select, edit, and/or delete servers, databases, and users via the RBMadmin program. Network administrators can also change user access privileges to AMS Machinery Manager programs through RBMadmin.

Nspectr

The rule based analysis process is pretty much the same; however, the tool used to edit/create equipment configurations has changed. Nspectr's front end equipment configuration setup uses the component design studio used by the RBMwizard. If the database was built using the RBMwizard then the equipment should already be configured for Nspectr. The configuration information is accessed after the equipment is selected at the tree for analysis. Nspectr also posts alarm and problem information into RBMview.

Plotdata

Maintains the same basic look and feel, however, some graphics dump options and case history interaction is different relative to the new RBMview program. All graphics dumps are now in full color and match the window size. Several new plot formats exist. Plotdata can post alarm information and images to RBMview.

Previewer

Essentially been changed to use Microsoft WordPad instead of the previous MasterTrend program.

Route

The route program has not changed much. The "integration and overall modes override" selections have been moved to the measurement point level. Multiple route loads are also now possible.

AutoStat

The AutoStat user interface has been altered to better display the different functions of the program. The method of deciding the rejection of outliers when performing statistical Alarm Limit Sets Analysis has changed.

CSICOM

Windows NT no longer supports the SRAM drivers for sockets, therefore, there is no PCMCIA card interface in AMS Machinery Manager. Trend, spectrum, and waveform data will be logged to RBMview.

DBASE

The database can now be viewed in tree format. AP and AL sets are grouped in data collection sets. The "Build from Master File" has been absorbed into RBMwizard. Nearly all of the print features have been moved to the Database Utility program. DBASE will still print AP and AL set assignments.

DBUTLY

New look and feel with basically the same operations as before, although the method of filtering items to be altered has changed. The user can now move case history information, machine configuration information, IR images and transient waveforms. AP, AL, and Fault Frequency sets can be moved between databases singularly or in multiples. Entire databases can be copied by using the Export command under File in the toolbar menu.

Export

The user can specify which technologies are to be analyzed - up front. The alarms can be surpassed by technology allowing the user to have better control of the programs output. Alarms can be posted to RBMview.

FRQCAL

FRQCAL has not changed except to support the new component warehouse concepts. Timing belts have been added and they will now display frequencies associated with the number of timing teeth.
Technology Information

Motor Technology

The creation of motor points has been streamlined as well as included in RBMwizard. In AMS Machinery Manager when the number of rotor bars or stator slots is not know then just leave the selection unchecked and at the value of zero. Also motor component information will be accessed through the component warehouse rather than having to go into frequency calculations. MotorView will also post alarms and case history information to the RBMview program.

Corrective Technology

The corrective technology jobs are now stored in the AMS Machinery Manager database and not in a separate database. This common database structure allows the user the ability to use core programs such as Dbfix, DBUTLY, RBMview, etc.

The UltraMgr application has been split into separate applications for each of the technologies: Alignment, balance, quality control(QC), analyze, and UltraSpec Motor. UltraPlot may also be used to plot QC, Analyze, and Motor Data.

Communications between the UltraSpec meter and the AMS Machinery Manager database is now done in a separate program. Balance has added the ability to display tolerance plots as part of balance reports.
Data selection is now done via a tree structure. Alignment tolerances can now be specified and stored for each individual coupling on a machine. Within the plot data feature and the UltraPlot application a plotting toolbar has been added. Greater cursor functionality has been implemented, so now the cursor can be positioned at the mouse location. New reports have been added to some applications.

VibPro 4.0 is grouped within the Corrective technology icon. VibPro can now display RPM values and tach pulse in transient waveform. This program allows the user to display data collected with the 2-channel 2120 downloadable programs: Transient and Dual Channel.

Tribology

OilView has been entirely rewritten with a new user friendly look and expanded functionality. Lab points, 51PC points, and 5100 OilView points have been integrated into one OilView point, to provide better integration of information. The number of oil parameters has been increased from 32 to 96 per point. The functionality of Oil Comm has been merged into Oilview. Mini-Lab tests have become more graphical in setup and running. A new measurement point setup process exists that is used by both OilView and RBMwizard. Colored alarms and trends for each parameter combined with the Trivector plot provide for easier diagnosis and reporting.

Thermography

All event data is now stored inside the AMS Machinery Manager database and not an external *.edb file. The previous six IR programs in MasterTrend have been combined into three for AMS Machinery Manager: IRview, IRcomm, and IRframe. Thermography can also post alarms to RBMview.

Ultrasonics

Ultrasonics has now been integrated into the AMS Machinery Manager suite of technologies. The points can be setup in DBASE. The ultrasonic communication and reporting are combined into one program. The program can report the overall level, application specific reports, air leak information, and steam trap analysis. Data can be stored in either a palmtop computer or CSI machinery analyzer.