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A cool condition monitoring solution

03 August 2023

Find out how a fruit processing plant found a condition monitoring solution to monitor stacker crane trolley bearings in cold and frozen storage areas.

Schaeffler has supplied a fruit processing company with its ProLink condition monitoring system to monitor the condition of trolley bearings on stacker cranes, which operate in cold and frozen storage areas.

German fruit processing company Zentis, is one of Europe’s leading fruit processing companies, producing jams and fruit preparations for use in the baking, confectionery and dairy industries. 

It’s Aachen site uses large stacker cranes for storage, transfer and retrieval. In order to monitor the large and difficult-to-access moving components in cold and frozen storage areas, and to avoid unplanned downtime, the logistics team at Zentis set out to a suitable predictive maintenance solution.

Zentis had previously employed Schaeffler’s SmartCheck condition monitoring devices on gearboxes and cable reels to monitor the health of a critical pallet lifter. The devices helped to prevent unplanned downtime and optimise production. If the pallet lifter fails, the first production stoppages occur around two hours later. The SmartCheck devices measure the vibration, speed, temperature and imbalance of various rolling bearings in the gearbox, as well as the gear teeth/mesh. This solution provides an early warning period of several weeks, which allows Zentis to carry out repairs and remedial action as part of planned maintenance work, helping to avoid costly unplanned downtime.

In the cold and frozen storage areas at Aachen, a different kind of condition monitoring solution was required. The stacker cranes constantly move around the 30-metre tall racks in different directions. The trolley bearings – in particular the non-driven bearings – are highly stressed. The fact that constant measuring conditions do not exist during regular operation posed an even greater challenge. In addition, temperatures in the frozen storage area are as low as -20°C, which presented a further challenge for the measuring system – how to attach the sensors to the measuring points, for example. 

Commenting on the project, Michael de Ben, Head of Internal Logistics at the Aachen site, said: “We were looking for a monitoring solution for our stacker cranes that could reliably take measurements despite inconsistent measuring conditions and ultra-low temperatures in order to protect us from unplanned downtimes.”

A smart solution
After approaching a  Schaeffler sale partner the Schaeffler ProLink condition monitoring system (CMS) was chosen and this intelligent measuring concept was adapted to suit Zentis’ unique requirements. 

To monitor the stacker cranes, a CMS and five sensors (bearing guards) were installed on each stacker crane unit. In order to perform meaningful vibration monitoring, the original measurement concept had to be changed in the multi-channel CMS. This was achieved by breaking down the short, slow travel times into many short measurements. Any extreme impacts could then be determined from these measurements.

To solve the temperature challenge in the cold storage area, the ProLink CMS was installed in the switch cabinet. In the frozen storage area, the system was placed in heated control cabinets that escort each stacker crane run. The sensors were attached to the measuring points using a cold-resistant adhesive compound.

The implementation of the CMS, has benefitted Zentis in several ways. With early warnings of any change in the condition of the stacker crane trolley bearings, the site has also seen an improvement in the planning of maintenance activities, as well as improved safety and transparency. The CMS is also fully integrated into the sites own control system.

“The ProLink CMS monitors heavily strained moving components on the stacker cranes that, due to their size or mounting position, cannot be repaired promptly in the event of an unplanned malfunction. By using bearing guards, the vibration pattern of this equipment can be permanently observed and any deviation can be detected at an early stage. In this way, the ProLink CMS makes a crucial contribution to safeguarding the production supply,” concluded Michael.


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