From Summer 2022 of Connected.
When you hear the term “smart technology,” you might think of gadgets that make your life easier or run more smoothly, such as smart home devices or virtual assistants.
These devices are labeled “smart technology” because they are equipped with artificial intelligence that allows them to learn, adapt and automate autonomously. For decades, smart technology has had the ability to maximize efficiency and productivity in our personal and professional lives.
This responsive technology continues to transform the professional world and has led to further development of innovative devices, such as smart sensors. These sensors were developed with smart technology and are designed to be easily mounted to existing operational equipment, such as bearings, or stand alone. Smart sensors can quickly provide feedback that gives a deeper look into the overall health of equipment, and they can identify potential issues or problems that range from temperature, pressure, level and vibration.
IDENTIFYING ISSUES AND MAINTENANCE
Prior to integrating smart sensor technology, unexpected equipment shutdowns or failures required hands-on, comprehensive inspections to identify the issue. This traditional approach results in unexpected downtime, increased operating costs and reduced equipment efficiency. By implementing smart sensors, an operations team can digitally access real-time equipment alerts, operating statuses and diagnostics all from the convenience of a Bluetooth device at any time.
“With the information delivered by the sensor, operators can determine how running equipment under different operating conditions influences their machine life. This information helps them know when to order spare parts and how to optimize maintenance and repair schedules,” reports Processing Magazine.
In addition to identifying issues and monitoring equipment, this technology gives an operation the capability to move from scheduled, routine maintenance to condition-based, predictive maintenance. Condition-based maintenance uses information gathered by smart sensors to perform maintenance to decrease component wear and tear, eliminate unplanned downtime, extend life of the equipment and reduce operating costs.
ABB explains, “Condition monitoring means that maintenance activities can be planned in advance, which reduces downtime and supports longer motor lifetimes. At the same time the solution generates 'big data' on the status of large numbers of motors, paving the way for predictive maintenance and plant wide optimization of operations and energy consumption.”
UNIVERSAL SMART CONDITION MONITORING FOR MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
Smart sensor and condition monitoring technology is sweeping across multiple business sectors like industrial, commercial, medical, agriculture, architecture, etc. Each industry has its own critical assets that require specific solutions to monitor operations and identify issues. Most smart sensors were designed with specific, limited measuring capabilities such as only measuring vibration levels of bearings. Until recently, this single measurement system was the only option until the introduction of Rexnord Process & Motion Control's (PMC) Universal Smart Condition Monitoring System. This new device, known as the 1030, monitors large gear drives and measures oil, temperature and vibration.
“This is a comprehensive solution for customers with multiple brands of large gear drives and can be used throughout your facility,” says Dan Plach, Rexnord PMC Director of Digital Solutions, in a Business Wire article . Plach continues, “(The 1030) delivers simple, robust 24/7 remote monitoring of critical assets to optimize total operating costs.”
Smart Sensor technology, like Rexnord's 1030, is designed to shorten unnecessary downtime, improve safety, extend the life of equipment and reduce maintenance costs. This technology solution is flexible and scalable with integration that can range from any size gear drives and can be customized to fit an operation's budget and priorities.