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Endress+Hauser Unveils Latest Pressure Gauges for Safety-Critical Systems

October 18, 2020 by Alessandro Mascellino

Endress+Hauser announced a new series of Cerabar and Deltabar pressure gauges.

Equipped with a new Bluetooth interface, they are designed to be easier to operate and more efficient to maintain in safety-critical systems. The devices will be available before the end of 2020. 

 

The Cerabar and Deltabar pressure gauges. Image courtesy of Endress+Hauser.

 

Bluetooth Heartbeat Technology

Heartbeat Technology refers to a series of solutions developed by Endress+Hauser to streamline industrial operations and allow devices to be verified without process interruption.

Heartbeat Technology combines diagnostic, verification, and monitoring functions for process optimizations, and works through Bluetooth interfaces. 

 

The Endress+Hauser SmartBlue Android app. Screenshot courtesy of Endress+Hauser.

 

The new Cerabar and Deltabar pressure gauges leverage Heartbeat Technology to enable the maintenance staff to verify their measuring points. The technology can also detect process irregularities and clogged impulse lines, as well as give users smart diagnostic functions.

According to Endress+Hauser, after pairing up the devices with the dedicated SmartBlue app, the process takes less than three minutes and does not interrupt the gauges’ functionality.

The Bluetooth interface is capable of covering distances of up to 15m, measuring points that are hard to reach or placed in hazardous areas. A verification protocol is also regularly generated on the app, providing detailed information about all tests, for alleged test coverage of over 95 percent. 

 

Designed to Functional Safety Standards

The Cerabar and Deltabar pressure gauges were developed according to IEC 61508, a functional safety standard applicable to different industries.


The new pressure gauges. Image courtesy of Endress+Hauser. 

 

The IEC 61508 describes functional safety standards for the lifecycle of various electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic (E/E/PE) systems and products. It particularly refers to parts of a device or system that perform automated safety functions including sensors, control logic, actuators, and microprocessors.

The standards define four separate safety integration levels (SIL) to indicate the degree to which a system will meet the related safety functions.

The Cerabar and Deltabar pressure gauges satisfy the IEC 61508 standards, and the devices’ virtual wizards are designed to guide users through SIL lock and proof tests, preventing operating errors. To improve safety further, the devices’ backlight display changes from green to red in case of error, and a checksum (CRC) is shown on-screen to allow security parameters inspection.

 

Endress + Hauser Adapting to Industry Changes

According to Endress+Hauser, the new Cerabar and Deltabar pressure gauges answer the industry’s necessity of increasing ease of operation, in a moment when qualified personnel is in short supply. 

The amount of safety-related equipment has increased significantly in recent years to match growth in various hazardous applications.

This trend has consequently sparked the necessity of expensive proof tests of SIL.

Heartbeat Technology is designed to answer these needs, providing an automated solution that also satisfies the industry’s safety standards.

 

The new pressure gauges. Image courtesy of Endress+Hauser.

 

In addition to featuring Heartbeat Technology, the Cerabar and Deltabar pressure gauges are built to meet the criteria of NAMUR roadmap "Process-Sensors 4.0". These are wireless communication, sensor diagnosis, and the provision of information about the sensor and the process.

 



 

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