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A few of us just learned about a clever (and free) app and platform that may prove to be helpful in many industrial settings. Fluke Connect is designed as a means to get data from (mostly handheld) Fluke meters and test tools, store it in the cloud, and use it in a variety of ways. The ios or Android app lets your smartphone connect to many different Fluke test tools. Connections are via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or in the case of certain older tools, via an IR connector. The app provides store-and-forward capability, so data can be saved locally if access to the cloud service is not immediately available. For tools with no connectivity, the app can still be used by entering data manually or as a photo. Presumably, this approach could be used for non-Fluke tools or assets as well. On the backend, the app is supported by a free service in the cloud, so it is available from anywhere. Today, there is a 50GB storage limitation.
The Fluke Connect system lets you create, access, and manage maintenance records, and organize them by asset in one location with history (EquipmentLog.) When your measurements are automatically associated with equipment, there is no need to record in the field and then transcribe into an office computer. TrendIt graphs allow you to identify and monitor deteriorating equipment and maintenance needs. You can make decisions quicker than before by viewing temperature, mechanical, electrical and vibration measurements from multiple test tools. The Fluke Connect system also lets you collaborate and troubleshoot with remote experts or others through a video call (ShareLive), so they can see what you are seeing.
The basic idea here is brilliant. Leverage readily available mobile devices and infrastructure, together with commercial cloud services, to provide modern capabilities to a class of tools that originated well before the Internet arrived. Nice!
Is it a model for other industrial applications? Let me know what you think.
Learn more about Fluke Connect here.
Posted in IIoT and I4.0 Viewpoints