SENSONICS has launched its ECPHS Eddy Current Probe Holder. It has been designed for use with their range of API 670 compliant XPR04 Proximity Probes.
These reverse mount probes fitted in the holders, are used in machinery protection systems on the most critical of industrial machines. For example, on turbines, pumps, compressors and gearboxes for measuring relative shaft vibration / eccentricity, axial position / thrust pad wear, shaft speed and over speed and also as a phase reference 1 / rev marker. They are also used in some very machine specific applications, including rod-drop monitoring on reciprocating compressors and differential expansion measurements (including the mark-space technique) on large steam turbines.
The use of an Eddy Current Probe Holder allows probe and extension cable access externally to the machine enabling gap adjustment, or the ability to retract the probe for replacement. One of the main benefits of this is that it eliminates the need to disassemble the machine and the associated costs of additional labour and lost production.
Now manufactured in stainless steel including the connection head, the ECPHS probe holder can be used in the harshest of environments. For example, in the oil and gas and petrochemical markets, onshore or offshore as its now compliant with ATEX requirements, added to which there will no longer be the potential of corrosion preventing access to the smart probe position adjustment mechanism at a later date, after initial installation.
The probe holder is sealed to the machine according to IP66 / IP68 ingress protection by means of a wide choice of sealed mounting thread options, either taper threads or straight threads with an O-ring seal. The connection head and its cap are also O-ring sealed to make it weatherproof and the 2 cable entries provide multiple connectivity sealing / protection options including ATEX / IECEx certified IP68 cable glands in stainless steel, as well as various conduit fittings.
Image courtesy of SENSONICS