SmartTrace™ is an advanced heat trace monitoring and management platform designed to simplify and enhance the way you manage your heat trace infrastructure. In this article, we'll explore the key concepts that make SmartTrace™ an indispensable tool.
Comprehensive Heat Trace Control:
SmartTrace™ is compatible with a wide range of heat trace controllers, regardless of the manufacturer, thanks to its support for various communication protocols. This flexibility allows you to remotely monitor, program, and configure your heat trace controllers, all within a single, user-friendly interface.
Cloud-Based Accessibility:
SmartTrace™ leverages cloud-based architecture, meaning you can access it from any internet browser, smartphone, or tablet. This accessibility ensures that you stay connected to your heat trace systems no matter where you are. Furthermore, being cloud-based, SmartTrace™ is continually updated, ensuring you always have the latest version with new features and improvements.
Heat Trace Management Focus:
While SmartTrace™ offers monitoring capabilities, its primary strength lies in heat trace management. It started as a management platform before evolving into a cloud-based monitoring solution. Effective heat trace management involves optimizing your heat trace assets and efficiently addressing any problematic circuits. Here are some key management functions SmartTrace™ performs:
- Filtering Noise: SmartTrace™ employs tools to filter out nuisance alarms, such as those generated in error by controllers. This ensures that you're alerted only to valid issues.
- Custom Criticality Rules: Alarms are prioritized using custom criticality rule sets, taking into account various factors like alarm type, process commodity, pipe size, process temperature, and ambient temperature.
- Integration with Scheduling Data: Alarms are cross-referenced with your facility's scheduling data. This integration helps prevent duplicate work tickets and allows for priority escalation based on criticality rule sets.
- Management of Forced-On Circuits: SmartTrace™ monitors and manages circuits that are forced on or energized beyond their design parameters. This helps you manage energy consumption effectively and extends the life of your heat trace cables.
- Controller Parameter Monitoring: SmartTrace™ can also monitor your heat trace controllers' programming parameters and report any deviations from the circuit's design parameters. This is crucial for ensuring the correct functioning of controllers, preventing nuisance alarms, and maintaining equipment safety.
Conclusion:
In summary, SmartTrace™ is more than just a monitoring platform; it's a comprehensive heat trace management solution. Its capabilities extend from controlling a diverse range of heat trace controllers to prioritizing alarms, filtering out noise, managing forced-on circuits, and ensuring the correct functioning of your controllers. With SmartTrace™, you gain the visibility, control, and efficiency needed to optimize your heat trace infrastructure.