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Alarm Annunciator Obsolescence & Legacy Systems

The introduction of computer monitor based control systems during the 1980s and 1990s saw a wholesale absorption of alarm window displays on to the computer screen. This created a down-turn in the sales of the conventional Alarm Annunciator systems and many of the companies manufacturing these alarm annunciator products were either sold off or went out of business. This has left today a major obsolescence support problem for customers who are still using these Alarm Annunciator systems as part of their safety systems.

Over recent years the Alarm Annunciator has seen resurgence in popularity, especially for use in IEC61508 SIL 1 and SHE (Safety Health and Environmental) alarm monitoring application. As a result of incidents such as Buncefield and Three Mile Island, and in accordance with EEMUA191 guidelines, the modern trend is to identify critical alarms and return them from the computer screen to discrete alarm windows. This is being done for two reasons.

Firstly, alarm annunciators offer pattern recognition to the operators in the form of LED alarm fascias instead of just providing an exhaustive list of alarms and events which the operators have to scroll through and in some instances alarms can be overlooked.

Omniflex has been designing and manufacturing alarm annunciator systems for over 30 years and is the market leader in the supply of replacements for legacy alarm systems for original manufacturer's such as:

  • Robinson Alarm Logic Units
  • Rochester / Highland Alarm Systems including:
  • MPAS 40
  • MPAS 90
  • RIS UC30 (full range including panel and rack mount, 4 way and 8 way versions)
  • MUX 90
  • SSA9100
  • Bristol Babcock Alarm Systems
  • Reyrolle Alarm Systems
  • Clifford and Snell
  • Londex Alarms Systems

Based upon field proven Omniflex Omni 8/16C and Maxiflex / Maxilarm I/O system technology for use in IEC61508 SIL1 applications, the replacement annunciators provide state of the art annunciation and can be designed to fit into existing installations. The annunciator systems are available in front of panel mount, remote logic versions or 19-inch rack mount configurations, including hardwired and software configurable based systems.

Replacement for MPAS90, using Omniflex’s Maxiflex I/O System

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Replacement for MPAS90, using Omniflex’s Omni16 RLU’s

Replacement for RIS UC30 range , using Omniflex’s Omni30 equivalents

 

 

Replacement for Robinson 24 Way Alarm Logic Units

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