The AMS Asset Monitor edge analytics device (photo) digitizes data and analytics, with focus on essential assets that were previously monitored only with infrequent assessments. The new device connects with the Plantweb Optics asset-performance platform to provide instant asset-health details. Plants typically monitor the condition of essential assets such as pumps, fans and heat exchangers only every 30 to 60 days, but shortening this gap is essential to avoiding unexpected downtime. The new AMS Asset Monitor combines embedded logic-based analytics and intuitive health scoring to make it easier to monitor and maintain essential assets. The platform can help plan maintenance during scheduled shutdowns and turnarounds and reduce or eliminate unplanned downtime. Unlike typical analytics devices that send data to a historian or to the cloud to be processed later, AMS Asset Monitor provides analytics at the edge, performing calculations at the device level, reducing complexity and expense. Each device collects data continuously and uses embedded logic to identify and diagnose common reliability issues, such as imbalance, misalignment, bearing faults, lubrication issues or fouling, which are consolidated into an overall asset-health score. – Emerson, St. Louis, Mo.