Research has shown that field personnel make better, faster decisions when they have access to maintenance records in the field and can review measurements in real time with team members and supervisors. Yet maintenance records are usually kept off-line back in the office and team members are rarely in the same place at the same time. Fluke Connect finally puts an end to this dichotomy, and what' more, the basic software needed to take advantage of the system is free.
Fluke Connect is the first commercial system to integrate test instrumentation, measurement-data management, smartphones, and Cloud technology into a single system. The company claims that the product creates the largest system of connected test tools in the world.
At present, the system consists of 20 instruments — including digital multimeters, infrared cameras, insulation testers, process meters, and specific voltage, current and temperature models — all of which have been offered by the manufacturer for a while. These instruments either have built-in wireless or Bluetooth transmitters, or can have such capabilities added using external dongles.
The instruments can thus communicate with an iOS or Android smartphone onto which the Fluke Connect app has been downloaded, and the phone can then send the information to a proprietary Cloud storage system. (The Cloud is built on state-of-the-art security technology, including secure access, electronic surveillance, multi-factor access control systems, built-in firewalls, and encrypted data storage.) Users can set the system for AutoRecord so measurements and infrared images are automatically uploaded to Cloud storage from wherever they’re working. This allows everyone in the field who is part of the team to access data from the Cloud (see video below ).
The system also offers numerous functions aimed at optimizing the use measurement information. For instance, ShareLive video calls let users share measurements with other team members instantly in real time, get approvals for repairs, or get questions answered without leaving the field. EquipmentLog lets users assign measurements to specific equipment, creating a cloud-based history of test measurement data for easy access during both troubleshooting and reliability maintenance. And TrendIt lets users instantly graph data, helping to identify trends and quickly make informed decisions.
More information about the system can be obtained from www.flukeconnect.com. The free Fluke Connect app can be downloaded now for from the Apple App Store, and will be available from the Google Play Store in June.
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