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Condition monitoring: A sensor’s-eye view

13 July 2023

David Hannaby explains how digital condition monitoring can offer greater production line efficiencies and why smart sensors are key to the unlocking useful, but previously hidden data.

The use of digital condition monitoring tools can offer food processors the prospect of better yields and greater added value. But, when times are hard, it is tempting to stick with what you know rather than risk investment in new technologies. Seeing digitalisation through the eyes of a sensors can focus the mind on how it is possible to squeeze every last drop out of legacy assets and gain a competitive advantage.

Digitalisation is providing new levels of transparency which enables operators to better understand their processes by interpreting the data provided by smart sensors, which are now being combined with digital services to open windows for operators to both ‘see’ and ‘understand’ their processes. 

Visualisation and augmented reality tools are now revealing some surprising new insights just by presenting the data from sensors in an appropriate visual format. But these do not have to be complex IT systems or big programming projects. New insights are achievable in some very practical ways, using simple, ready-to-use and even bolt-on services. 

By unlocking real-time and historical data, maintenance and production teams are afforded added flexibility, adaptability and responsiveness that saves routine service and reactive maintenance hours and maximises machine availability. 

Transparency
Starting with a sensor’s eye view means you begin from the ground up. We can ‘plug in’ eyes and ears wherever they are needed to unlock previously-hidden data. We can then represent that data in ways that allow operating personnel at all levels to get health checks in real time and to see historic data in new ways. 

It could be as straightforward as managing a digital twin of all your assets along their entire life cycles. For example, the SICK AssetHub is being used in the food industry to provide a feature-rich and interactive view of all sensors, systems and other devices, providing information that is right at the fingertips of a maintenance operative via a smart phone.

Because sensors are often positioned right at the heart of process equipment or machinery, they can provide additional insights over and above their function. Take the SICK MPS-G position sensor, for example. It is used to detect the position of the piston in small cylinders. However, it also provides diagnostic data via IO-Link on the piston velocity, cylinder stroke, magnetic fields strengths, temperature, vibration, and acceleration. These values can help to track the performance of a pneumatic drive, as well as the service status of the machinery.

SICK has also developed a condition monitoring sensor for servo motors. When added as an extension to a SICK motor feedback encoder, the sHub provides temperature, vibration, position and speed data. So critical mechanical failures, such as ball bearing damage or motor imbalance, can be detected early to pre-empt machinery downtime.

SICK’s MPB Multi-Physics Box condition monitoring sensor offers an opportunity to bolt on real-time, continuous condition monitoring to many different machines – including motors, pumps, conveyor systems or fans. It can measure vibration, shock and temperature and can be set up to alert when measured values exceed pre-configured thresholds. By considering previously disparate sets of data together, new insights can be gained and changes in performance can be detected early.

Service platforms
New digital services platforms are now also enabling plug-and-play condition monitoring to assist with preventative and predictive maintenance of sensors, machines, processes and plants. They can be adapted for all sorts of operating requirements to provide live status feedback and historical analysis supporting more effective maintenance and optimised efficiency.

For example, when enabled using pre-configured Apps running on SICK smart sensors, the SICK Monitoring Box provides transparent data monitoring through a browser-based dashboard for desktop or mobile devices. 

Crucially, users have the power to make predictions, based on real measurement values, about when a particular component or device is nearing the point of failure, so that it can be replaced before it leads to an unexpected downtime.

Early adopters of this technology have gained some unexpected insights. For example, using SICK’s monitoring app for its FTMg multifunctional flow sensor, one customer has identified energy cost savings from compressed air usage. By tracking consumption over time, compressed air energy losses are also easier to spot and correct. The visualised data makes it easy for the production team to identify ways of making start-up and shutdown processes more energy efficient, improving compressor control and managing peak loads. 

In another example from a packaging line, data from distance sensors has been used to monitor the magazine stack height on a carton erecting machine. A sequence of fill-level warnings is then displayed on smart wristwatches worn by the shop floor operators. This has eliminated the need for regular checks and allowed some personnel to be deployed to other tasks. All the sensor data collected can also be visualised and monitored on a dashboard by management personnel.

Using data from sensors, decisions can be made in real time, saving unnecessary time and costs, and helping to increase machine availability. Intervals between service visits can be optimised, machine stoppages avoided, and new efficiencies identified. Condition monitoring and predictive maintenance will therefore have a positive effect on Overall Operating Efficiency (OEE).

David Hannaby is market product manager for presence detection at SICK UK.


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