ABB and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have struck a deal on wireless connectivity for large industrial customers, where ABB sensors attached to industrial equipment are connected to the cloud via HPE gateways.
An integrated solution, slated to be available late 2019 and targeted at customers operating in hazardous industrial environments, will offer industrial companies the chance to run condition monitoring and predictive maintenance on their motors, bearings, pumps, and other industrial components.
They will also be able to develop infrastructure-as-a-service and location-based services for their clients, said ABB and HPE.
Customers will be able to capture data from industrial equipment via ABB’s Ability Smart Sensor technology, connected via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access points from Aruba Networks, HPE’s wireless networking subsidiary.
ABB Ability Smart Sensor technology transforms traditional motors, mounted bearings and pumps into wirelessly connected devices, measures key parameters and converts data into actionable information. Aruba’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access points feature zero-touch provisioning.
The integrated solution will enable customers with large industrial sites and multiple access points to easily monitor the condition and performance of equipment. “This allows them to plan maintenance in advance, avoiding unplanned and costly downtime,” the pair said in a statement.
Jonas Spoorendonk, global product manager for ABB’s Ability Smart Sensor group, said: “By combining network infrastructure powered by Aruba with ABB Ability, we are extending our existing offering to help industrial manufacturers make even better decisions about their equipment. This enables them to increase manufacturing productivity and reduce maintenance costs.”
Philip Spiessens, senior director of global OEM partnerships for HPE’s Aruba unit, said: “Customers need seamless and secure connectivity from sensors through access points to their IT network to capture real-time data and insights in order to make informed business decisions. This collaboration brings together the strengths of both global companies.”
ABB and HPE have worked together since late 2017, when the pair started to combine ABB Ability and HPE’s edge compute and hybrid IT solutions. The companies have also developed joint solutions for edge computing and for balancing power sources in data centres to drive energy efficiency.
