Monitoring system for use in industrial operations

A monitoring system for monitoring an industrial operation having one or more machines for performing work, the monitoring system comprising:

• at least one sensor array for one or more machines, wherein each said sensor array having one or more sensors placed in one or more locations on or within at least one of the one or more machines that operates to collect operational data wherein said operational data includes performance operating levels for one or more operating parameters;
• one or more performance sensors for collecting performing information for at least one of the one or more machines;
• a data analyzer system having an analysis module, a statistical system and a memory;
• a communication system for transmitting said operational data and said performing information to said data analyzer system for storage in said memory;
• and
• wherein said memory includes maintenance schedules for each machine;
• wherein said analysis module operates to establish an operational baseline for at least one of the one or more machines using said performing information and said performance operating levels taken during normal operation of at least one of the one or more machines prior to said at least one or more machines is in need of maintenance and further operates to store said performance operating levels and performing information as historical data and uses said historical data to determine reference thresholds;
• wherein said one or more sensors then operate to transmit real-time operational data through said communication system to said analysis module which operates to compare said real-time operational data to said operational baseline and then operates to make a predictive determination;
• wherein if said real-time operational data falls outside one or more of said reference thresholds, said data analyzer system operates to transmit a warning to an output device for informing an operator;
• and
• wherein said analysis module further operates to determine if a machine in an industrial operation is expected to fail before completion of the work to be performed by said machine, if so, said analysis module then operates to compare said maintenance schedules and scheduling information for other industrial operations to identify other industrial operations and/or machines that are available to perform the work and not expected to fail before completion of the work and makes a recommendation based on said comparison that the work should be transferred to an identified machine or to an identified industrial operation.

A monitoring system for monitoring a machine, the monitoring system comprising:

• at least one sensor array, wherein each said at least one sensor array having one or more sensors placed in one or more locations on or within the machine that operates to collect operational data that includes one or more performance operating levels for one or more operating parameters;
• a data analyzer system having an analysis module and a memory;
• and
• a communication system for transmitting said operational data to said data analyzer system for storage in said memory, wherein said operational data includes specific performance operating levels for one or more operating parameters;
• wherein normal operational data is collected during the normal operating state of a machine by said at least one sensor array and wherein said normal operational data includes one or more performance operating levels of said one or more operating parameters which are transmitted to said communication system to said analyzer system and stored as historical data in said memory;
• wherein said analysis module operates to establish an operational baseline of the machine using said historical data and historical data from machines performing similar operations and then operates to use said historical data and historical data from machines performing similar operations to determine reference thresholds for each said one or more operating parameters and wherein said reference thresholds are weighted based on the significance of each said one or more operating parameters is to the performance of the machine;
• and
• wherein said one or more sensors then operate to collect real-time operational data for the machine and wherein said real-time operational data includes real-time performance operating levels and wherein said real-time operational data is transmitted through said communication system to said analysis module of said data analyzer system which operates to compare said real-time performance operating levels for each said one or more real-time operating parameters to said weighted reference thresholds and using said comparison and weighted reference thresholds, said data analyzer system operates to make a predictive determination that the machine will need maintenance within a certain period of time.