TEST AND MEASUREMENT | CONDITION MONITORING
The term ‘Smart Products’ has become part of everyday
vocabulary as we acquire ever-increasing numbers of devices
that communicate with each other and allow us to control them or
access information we need at any time.
KEEP ON ROLLING
The industrial world is
becoming increasingly
interconnected through the
Industrial Internet of Things
(IIoT) enabling sensors, instruments
and other intelligent devices used
within a manufacturing environment
to gather, exchange, evaluate and
store data. This connectivity, and
the data produced, can be used
in a multitude of ways to improve
productivity and process ef ciency.
Swiss automation solutions
company, Güdel has introduced
Condition Monitoring package for its
IIoT based products and tools, such
as linear guideways, racks, pinions
and drives right through to linear
axes and gantry robots, enabling
users to perform condition-based
maintenance.
Güdel components and modules
are used within industry segments
where high levels of ef ciency and
productivity are essential. A key
element in attaining these objectives
is the ability to reduce downtime.
Although only a small part of the
linear tracks, robots, gantry systems
and linear axes manufactured by the
company, rollers play a signi cant
part in the operation and reliability
of these systems. Understanding the
condition of the rollers is important if
ongoing and trouble-free operation is
to be achieved, and Güdel’s Condition
Monitoring package provides users
with the data they need to predict
potential component failure before it
becomes a critical issue.
The technology is based upon
the detection of vibration using
accelerometers, a proven method to
monitor the condition of ball bearings.
The critical parts of a rolling bearing
are those surfaces that run on each
other. These are the rolling element
surface, the running surface of the
inner ring and the running surface of
the outer ring.
Should the running surfaces be
damaged locally, a shock pulse
occurs when the damaged area
rolls over. This characteristic can
be picked up by an accelerometer
and the greater the damage, the
stronger the shock pulse. In addition,
as the speed of the roller is known,
it is possible to determine whether
the inner ring, outer ring
or rolling element is
defective.
The data
collected
from the sensors is stored on a local
condition-monitoring computer,
supplied as part of the package. No
network connection is required and
Güdel’ Condition Manager software
allows users to manage the system.
Options are available if required,
should users wish to connect the
system to a local network or the wider
web and enable e-mail alerts etc.
if the system detects a signi cant
change in the pulses being picked up
by the sensors.
The functionality of the system
includes e-mail alerts if threshold
values are exceeded, visualisation
of historical trend data from all the
evaluation units, automatic storage
of trend data in a local database,
alarm history and documentation
of maintenance work carried out.
The system can also be expanded if
required to meet future needs. !
50 WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK | SEPTEMBER 2019
/WWW.EUREKAMAGAZINE.CO.UK