For production to run smoothly in industrial environments, such as chemical or food processing plants, energy plants, and electronic manufacturing, the machinery involved needs to operate continuously. Excessive downtime is simply not an option.
To ensure machines continue running and to minimize downtime, technicians must regularly conduct preventive and predictive maintenance.
Preventive maintenance involves powering down machinery to make adjustments and change fluids. Predictive maintenance entails conducting checks and tests while machinery is running to make sure parts are not about to fail. These measures are necessary for most machines to operate efficiently.
In the past, technicians were tasked with the tedious work of predictive maintenance. Now, with Industrial IoT (IIoT) technology at the forefront, different types of IoT sensors are able to predict when a part on a machine is about to fail, sometimes months in advance.
Industrial IoT in Smart Manufacturing
According to Analog Devices, below are different types of sensors and what type of fault sense they are good for:
Vibration IoT Sensors
- Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometers
- Monitors high and low-frequency vibrations
- A less expensive sensor
- Measures vibration of up to three axles, up and down, side to side, and forward and backward
- Piezo accelerometers
- Controlled by electric current due to motion
- Monitors high and low-frequency vibrations
- Measures vibration of up to 3 axes, up and down, side to side, and forward and backward
Sound Pressure IoT Sensors
- Microphone
- Low cost
- Performance can be disrupted by environmental noises
- Ultrasonic microphone
- Low cost
- Listens to sounds in the no audible spectrum
Both types of microphones are capable of detecting and sensing the same issues as the Piezo and MEMS vibration sensors.
Motor Current IoT Sensors
- Shunt, current transformer
- Low cost
- Good for sensing:
- Eccentric rotors issues
- Winding issues
- Rotor bar issues
- Supply imbalance issues
- Bearing issues
Magnetic Field IoT Sensors
- Hall, magnetometer, search coil
- Low cost
- Good for sensing:
- Rotor bar issues
- End ring issues
Temperature IoT Sensors
- Infrared thermography
- Expensive
- Good for sensing:
- Heat source location due to friction
- Load changes
- Excessive start/stop
- Insufficient power supply
- RTD, thermocouple, digital
- Low cost
- Good for sensing:
- The change in temperature due to friction
- Load changes
- Excessive start/stop
- Insufficient power supply
Oil Quality IoT Sensors
- Particle monitor that detects viscosity, particles, and contamination.
- Good for detecting debris from wear
Contact us for a demo or more information on our basic refrigeration monitoring kit or custom IoT sensor kits.
