Cost-Effective 2-Wire Gas Detection Replacement for an Alabama Manufacturer
A process manufacturing operation in Alabama was working on transitioning their legacy gas detection infrastructure. This facility had traditionally relied on 2-wire (loop-powered) toxic gas transmitters (as is standard in many plants). However, as they looked into replacing 2-wire devices that were becoming obsolete, they ran into a problem. The available replacements on the market were 3-wire designs. This upgrade path would necessitate switching from their 2-wire design and re-wiring large sections of their facility, leading to both disruptions in production and major expense.
The Problem
The customer had been using their existing 2-wire equipment for more than a decade. So having to switch to a 3-wire solution would pose significant problems, such as
- Rewiring significant sections of the plant
- Higher hardware costs for the replacement parts
- Extended installation time and downtime
This customer had explored alternatives but found that attempted replacements from other vendors had failed out-of-the-box. They needed a reliable, supported 2-wire solution able to slot into existing infrastructure without costly upgrade paths.
The Solution
Cross Company’s Process Solutions group partnered with the facility to understand constraints and long-term upgrade plans. Working alongside RKI, we were able to recommend a true 2-wire transmitter option for the H2S sensors in need of replacement. With this solution from RKI, the customer was able to maintain their existing wiring architecture while addressing obsolescence concerns. In addition to that, the RKI 2-wire solution provided
- A significantly lower price point compared to available 3-wire alternatives
- Substantial cost savings by avoiding plant-wide rewiring
- A reliable drop-in replacement able to be deployed gradually (as equipment becomes obsolete) to support a rolling replacement plan
As a result, by partnering with Cross Company for an RKI 2-wire solution for H2S detection, the manufacturer was able to eliminate the need for costly 2-wire to 3-wire conversion in their facility, resolve an obsolescence challenge without operational disruption, and improve long-term reliability with a competitively priced, fully supported transmitter line.
For any process plant currently using legacy 2-wire toxic gas transmitters, this approach offers a practical, validated upgrade path without having to re-work entire systems and plant infrastructure.
