Rockwell Automation has developed a device that provides Ethernet/IP and Web communications for motor overload relays at a cost of around £20. The Allen-Bradley 193-ENT module can send motor diagnostic information, such as running currents and thermal utilisation, to higher-level controllers.

The module has a built-in Web server which can be used to read real-time data and to configure the device from a PLC or Web browser. The server can also send an e-mail or text messages to maintenance personnel when an event, such as a motor over-heating, is about to occur, or has occurred.

The module is desigend to be used with Rockwell’s low-cost E1 Plus overload relay, which handles motor currents up to 800A. The module can either be engineered in from the start, or retrofitted to an existing overload and connected to an Ethernet switch. As well as acting as a conventional overload relay, the combination offers extra motor protection functions such as overload/underload warnings and jam protection.

The module also incorporates two discrete inputs and a relay output for local control and signalling functions.

“From large motors down to the smallest pump or conveyor, Ethernet connection is now an affordable option, improving the efficiency and sustainability of any machine or process,” says Ian Harwood, Rockwell’s field business lead for components in the UK.