Plant & Works Engineering February/March 2023

12 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk February/March 2023 Maintenance Matters Focus on: Maintenance 4.0 T oo frequent reactive maintenance interventions and unplanned machine stoppages only add to the current squeeze on operating costs that all manufacturers are feeling at the moment. At such times, the received wisdom is to get on board with Industry 4.0 digital technologies. Manufacturers are encouraged to leverage “Maintenance 4.0” to extract greater added value. Yet, when times are hard, the temptation is to stick with what you know. So, is there a way to reconcile these apparently conflicting pressures? Through sensors’ eyes Engineers are discovering that the ability to visualise sensor data in new and surprising ways transforms it into a powerful resource to better understand the health of machines. Whether that is a series of graphs on a dashboard, an overview of the machine or plant, or an Augmented Reality representation, the principle is: the simpler the better. The technology doesn’t have to be complex, time-consuming, intrusive or insecure. Progression can be incremental and relatively Maintenance 4.0: Seeing is believing low risk. It could be as straightforward as managing a digital twin of all your assets along their entire life cycles. So, for example, David Hannaby, Market Product Manager for SICK UK, told PWE that its customers use the SICK AssetHub to see a feature-rich and interactive view of all sensors, systems and other devices: useful information that’s right at the fingertips of a maintenance operative from a smart phone. Data from the heart of the machine Hannaby explains that most people are familiar with the ability of Smart Sensors to output diagnostic data and provide additional information, either about their own status, e.g. “Does my screen need cleaning?” or their process performance: “How many times have I detected something?” Even this simple data can lead to more informed maintenance interventions. But, as Hannaby highlights, because sensors are often positioned right in the heart of machinery, they can also provide insights over and above their function. Take the SICK MPS- G position sensor, for example. It is used to detect the position of the piston in small cylinders. However, it also provides comprehensive diagnostic data via IO-Link on the piston velocity, cylinder stroke, magnetic fields strengths, temperature, vibration, and acceleration. These values can help to track the performance of a pneumatic drive, as well as the service status of the machinery. SICK has also developed a condition monitoring sensor for servo motors. When added as an extension to a SICK EDS/EDM25 motor feedback encoder, the sHub provides temperature, vibration, position and speed data. So critical mechanical failures, such as ball bearing damage or motor imbalance, can be detected early to pre-empt machinery downtime. Real-time condition monitoring The recent launch of SICK’s MPB Multi-Physics Box Condition Monitoring Sensor offers an opportunity, quite literally, to bolt on real-time, continuous condition monitoring to many different machines, including motors, pumps, conveyor systems or fans. The SICK MPB measures vibration, shocks and temperature. It can be set up to alert when measured values exceed pre-configured thresholds. By considering previously disparate sets of data together, new insights are gained. As a result, changes in performance are detected early and maintenance work can be planned based on real data. Getting visibility to the data from your machines is just the first step to taking proactive, rather than reactive, service and maintenance decisions. You also need the connectivity, e.g. via an IoT gateway device, to deliver the data securely. Most importantly, you need the ability to integrate, visualise and analyse the data exactly where and when you need it. SICK’s IntegrationSpace is its distribution channel for a modular portfolio of digital tools, services and cloud-based applications that enable users to do this. Monitoring box As part of these services, the SICK Monitoring Do you ever wish you had x-ray eyes to see inside a machine to predict exactly when it will fail? The reality is probably a relentless routine of maintenance checklists and service inspections, together with time-consuming preventive procedures. Nevertheless, unexpected lapses in product quality and machine failures are still likely to happen. PWE spoke to David Hannaby, Market Product Manager for SICK UK to find out more.