n TECHNOLOGY March 2024 www.drivesncontrols.com 24 IGUS IS DEVELOPING a new generation of ange bearings with built-in wireless sensors that allow the bearings’ state of wear to be monitored, and predictive maintenance to be implemented to help prevent machine breakdowns. The miniature abrasion sensors in the lubrication-free igubal spherical plain bearings consist of a thin circuit board with battery supply that avoids the need for cables, and allows the bearing to move freely for spherical compensation. As the bearing becomes worn, tracks on the board are interrupted. When the signal from a track is lost, an electronic monitor knows that the wear has reached a certain level. The sensor emits a digital signal via a LoRa (Long Range) wireless network. This signal is received by an i.Cee control cabinet module, which evaluates the data. Software calculates the level of abrasion. Over time, as sensor layers wear parallel to the bearing’s running surface, they emit signals that allows the controller to calculate the bearing’s condition. Users can monitor the remaining service life and when maintenance is due, on smart devices located anywhere in the world. An app could, for example, notify a conveyor belt maintenance engineer that a ange bearing is approaching its wear limit. Previously this may have gone undetected, leading to costly system failures, but now the technician can spot the issue and replace the bearing during a break in production. “This scenario is no longer science ction,” says igus UK dry-tech director, Rob Dumayne. “As part of our smart plastics range, we are gradually equipping plain bearings made of high-performance plastic with networked sensors. Our two- and four-hole ange bearings of the igubal series can now also enable condition monitoring and predictive maintenance to avoid unforeseen damage." The new bearings are still at the prototype stage. The rst pilot user is Luxembourg's state-owned railway company, Société National des Chemins de Fer Luxembourgeois (CFL), which is testing the sensors in a 200mlong facility that it uses to wash trains. In the past, repeated gearbox malfunctions led to costly failures in the facility. CFL therefore abandoned lubricated standard ball bearings and instead installed cross-linked spherical bearings in UC housings. The corrosion-free, chemicalresistant bearings have integrated solid lubricants, enabling low-friction, maintenance-free dry running. “The other bearings needed to be lubricated every few weeks, which was timeconsuming,” reports CFL maintenance manager, Mike Feinen. “So we've now ticked o this maintenance snag." Dumayne adds: “The networking of these smart bearings is the icing on the cake. Thanks to continuous condition monitoring, CFL can prevent failures, plan maintenance interventions and make full use of the service life of the polymer bearings.” www.igus.co.uk ‘Smart’ bearings warn as they wear, thus avoiding breakdowns A GREEK AUTOMATION start-up has announced an IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) controller that can be programmed and monitored via a smartphone, and avoids the need for programming expertise. Erqos says that its €145 EQSP32 controller can be used for industrial or home automation applications, as well as for instrumentation and for remote monitoring and control. The Internet-connected controller is said to marry the convenience of installing a PLC, with the processing power, low cost, exibility, and openness of an embedded computer. It measures 70 x 60 x 50mm and can be mounted on a DIN rail. At the core of EQSP32 is a “revolutionary” no-code programming technology. Users simply describe their needs, and a generative AI programming assistant generates the code “in seconds”. The EQ-AI assistant is trained to use the controller’s libraries and pre-built high-level functions. Erqos is selling the controller via its online store with a single controller costing €145. The device provides an end-to-end link from the physical environment to the user's smartphone. It incorporates everything needed to create a custom IoT application, including interfaces for sensors and actuators, a powerful processor, intuitive software for Wi-Fi connections, and tools for creating custom smartphone apps. At the heart of the EQSP32 is an ESP32S3 SoC (system-on-chip) with a highperformance dual-core processor and integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Users will benet from the large existing ESP32 ecosystem, including a wide range of tools and libraries. The controller has 16 congurable I/O that can interface with common sensors and actuators, as well as supporting RS-232/485 communications and, optionally, CANbus. An expansion connector will allow extra modules to be added in the future, allowing the system to grow with users' needs. Planned modules include a pH meter with dual stepper motor control for water treatment and instrumentation applications, as well as modules oering extra digital and analogue I/O. Erqos says that by basing the controller on the ESP32 SoC and concentrating on an e¨cient, scalable design, it has achieved a price point that is “exceptionally low” for an industrial-grade controller, making advanced automation accessible to a wider audience. Erqos was founded in 2022 by experts in industrial automation, embedded computing and IoT technologies. It is dedicated to providing innovative, userfriendly technologies for the automation and electronics component market, with a focus on no-code programming, end-to-end designs and open architectures. https://erqos.com €145 controller uses AI to generate code within seconds igus is developing “smart” versions of its igubal ange bearings with built-in abrasion sensors that detect when the bearings are wearing away, allowing them to be replaced before they fail
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