Siemens Integrates With Samotics for Distribution Equipment Monitoring
Samotics’ electrical signature analysis platform is available in Siemens’ NXpower Monitor software for energy distribution equipment.
German industrial giant Siemens recently upgraded its NXpower Monitor platform to integrate electrical signature analysis (ESA) from Samotics, a Netherlands-based company offering products to improve performance and efficiency in AC motors and rotating equipment.
Samotics’ SAM4 Health device can detect electrical and mechanical failures via current and voltage signal analysis. Image used courtesy of Samotics
The integration with Samotics’ “SAM4 Health” data-acquisition device lets customers detect electrical distribution failures that could lead to unplanned downtime and identifies efficiency improvements to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and industrial energy waste.
Siemens’ Smart Infrastructure division incorporated the AI-based ESA capabilities of the SAM4 Health hardware into its NXpower Monitor, an application that monitors electrical assets 24/7 within a main power distribution station, such as medium- and low-voltage switchgear.
Aside from monitoring real-time current and voltage data, NXpower Monitor offers features such as health status updates, key performance indicator calculations, operational data monitoring, and other capabilities to reduce capital and operating expenses.
Siemens’ NXpower Monitor analyzes current and voltage data in real time. Image used courtesy of Siemens
Siemens Expands NXpower Monitor
NXpower Monitor detects failures in electrical distribution systems—at both medium- and low-voltage levels—that could lead to unplanned asset breakdowns and on-site visits involving manual processes. With the ESA integration, the tool can identify 90% of developing electrical and mechanical faults up to five months before they go down.
SAM4 Health can track failures and degradation at multiple stages of transmission, affecting different components such as motor bearings, broken rotor bars, VFDs, belt and chain systems, direct coupling, and gearboxes. It can also spot process-related issues, including clogging and cavitation.
The platform flags areas with high electricity consumption and losses in efficiency, extending an opportunity for companies to cut up to 15% of their CO2 emissions. Samotics claims SAM4 Health typically delivers a 200% annual return on investment by automating maintenance and improving uptime. The payback period ranges from two to 14 months, depending on the project.
The new partnership adds SAM4 Health to Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio, a lineup of engineering software, cloud services, and application development tools to help companies with their digital transformation strategies.
Samotics’ Growing Customer Base
In addition to SAM4 Health, Samotics also provides its “SAM4 Energy” continuous monitoring system for industrial equipment, identifying inefficiencies to reduce electricity consumption by up to 15%. The company claims SAM4 Energy can realize up to 300% of the customer’s return on investment within three months.
Samotics’ customer base includes names such as Schneider Electric (which integrated SAM4 into its Ecostruxure Asset Advisor service in 2020), alongside Luxembourg-based steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal, Dutch chemical producer Nobian, and French energy and petroleum giant TotalEnergies. Additionally, ABB acquired a 10% stake in the company in 2022 and agreed to integrate SAM4 into its existing powertrain condition monitoring services.
Video used courtesy of Samotics
Samotics also has a few water service providers in the United Kingdom as customers: Anglian Water signed a five-year supply deal with the company earlier this month, and South East Water recently selected SAM4 for a one-year trial. Samotics also nabbed a $12.4 million contract last year with Yorkshire Water, becoming its sole ESA supplier until 2025.
The deal with Yorkshire Water came after running a pilot project to detect clogging events with SAM4 Health across its entire sewage network, covering thousands of assets. According to the case study, the first signs of a clog were detected within the first few weeks. The platform monitored the site for two days before confirming maintenance priorities. Following that, SAM4Health tracked more than ten partial clogging events within four months. Through the trial, Yorkshire Water’s pumping stations could avoid pollution events that typically rack up around $161,562 in fines per incident.
