Rockwell Automation has introduced two new Allen-Bradley power monitors that provide manufacturers with scalable, cost-effective insight into how, when and where energy is being used throughout the production process. The Allen-Bradley PowerMonitor W250 and 500 power meters offer users an opportunity to cost-effectively drive energy monitoring further into their production processes compared to previous monitoring technology.

"Many manufacturers are looking to gain deeper insight and data granularity of their industrial energy consumption," explained Phillip Bush, power and energy management product manager, Rockwell Automation. "These two new power monitors allow our customers to drill down beneath facility or process-level monitoring to collect data from specific energy-intensive applications without significant cost and effort."

The PowerMonitor W250 power meter offers a self-generating wireless communications platform, ideally suited for applications located in areas where hard-wired networking is cost prohibitive. The PowerMonitor 500 power meter features a large LCD display to view energy use information directly at the process being monitored without requiring any additional components.

The wireless PowerMonitor W250 power meter is capable of measuring energy consumption at multiple metering locations, including remote or confined spaces such as ceilings, conveyor belts or outdoors. Completely cable-free, the self-generating wireless network transmits energy consumption information directly to Rockwell Software RSEnergyMetrix software for reduced networking costs and easier data collection. Simplified networking for additional monitors allows for improved system modularity and flexibility.

For smaller consumption and demand-monitoring applications, the PowerMonitor 500 power meter features an on-device LCD display in a small, panel-mounted footprint. Operators can access real-time energy demand and consumption data at the machine or process level to drive employee engagement in energy-savings initiatives. It also features Modbus TCP and EtherNet/IP communication options and is fully integrated with RSEnergyMetrix software. Energy consumption data can be loaded directly to Web-based dashboards to provide a cost-effective tool for implementing and verifying energy-saving initiatives.

(Rockwell Automation India Ltd, Ghaziabad. Tel: 0120-2895245. Fax: 91-120-2895224. Email: dghosh@ra.rockwell.com)