Sponsored Article
All aboard the digital powertrain
09 September 2021
Keeping equipment running is vital to ensure that critical production, such as the supply of water, the control of indoor climates or the flow of air or oxygen, continues uninterrupted. However, getting personnel on-site to monitor and maintain assets can be a challenge, and particularly so in the current circumstances. The solution may be easier than you think.
In the past few years, the traditional industrial powertrain has undergone a transformation. A typical powertrain comprises variable speed drives (VSD), motors, bearings and a driven load, such as a pump. Until recently the only truly digital component of the powertrain was the VSD. Acting as a smart sensor, the VSD can track, monitor and feedback lots of data on the health of the powertrain, particularly relating to the performance of the motor and the energy consumption patterns.
However, digital technology has rapidly migrated throughout the powertrain by way of smart sensors. Today, smart sensors can help facilities remotely monitor the condition of various assets such as motors, mounted bearings and pumps. The smart sensors are attached to these assets and track parameters like temperature, vibration, noise and energy consumption. The data is harvested via Bluetooth before being transmitted to the cloud, where it is analysed. The results are then displayed via a portal, revealing the health and performance of the powertrain, enabling any potential issues to be spotted and fixed, long before they lead to faults.
This opens vast new possibilities for remote monitoring and predictive maintenance. Having the ability to track the status and condition of a company’s entire installed base of VSDs, motors, bearings and pumps in one place, as well as being able to access this information remotely, has many benefits. It means less time spent on visual inspection and manual measurements, as users no longer need to physically access equipment to determine its condition, reducing risk and keeping personnel safe. Remote monitoring ensures that maintenance is carried out precisely where and when it is needed, based on how hard assets are working. This lowers maintenance costs while allowing personnel to be deployed more efficiently.
Overall, the use of smart sensors generally offers up to 70 percent less unplanned maintenance, up to 30 percent extended motor lifetime, up to 30 percent reduction in operating costs and up to 10 percent higher system efficiency.
For most industries, the factory of the future is still some way off. However, the technological building blocks, by way of smart sensors, are now available, allowing even the smallest facilities to work towards turning their business into a truly digital operation.
To discover more about the uses and benefits of condition monitoring for powertrains, visit http://bit.ly/2vxHlkO.
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