Real-time monitoring is more affordable than ever: igus lifetime sensor available from 248 euros

New i.Sense EC.W sensor provides cost-effective real-time condition monitoring for sliding cable crawler systems

Machine breakdowns and downtime are among the biggest cost factors in industry. So it is important for maintenance personnel to prevent unplanned downtime. With igus' new low-cost lifetime sensor, users can now make their cable crawler smart from as little as 248 euros. Thanks to real-time condition monitoring, lifetime maintenance is more predictable, easier and cheaper. This not only brings decisive advantages in the field of cable tracks, but also opens up new possibilities for condition monitoring in many other wear applications.

Internet of Things, Big Data, and autonomous robots: the transition to Industry 4.0 is in full swing. This includes components that work in machines and have long since become smart, for example by providing data about their state. However, integrating smart technologies is often complex for companies and involves external installation work. "We have also found that while online services are very popular in everyday private life, the sensitivity to external data connections in the business environment is very high. A machine's IoT connection is often not desired. However, customers do not want to do without smart functionality and integration into existing operating systems," explains Richard Habering, head of the igus smart plastics Business Unit. This is exactly where igus comes in with the new i.Sense EC.W lifetime sensor for sliding cable crawler systems. The low-cost sensor product enables cost-effective real-time wear detection starting at just 248 euros and, thanks to integrated potential-free contacts, can be connected directly to the PLC machine control system without an Internet connection. The sensor, cable and evaluation electronics are included. Users also have the option of connecting the sensor to various networks and IoT systems via the i.Cee module and thus integrating it into a predictive maintenance concept. The lifetime sensor is available for the E4.32, E4.42, E4.56 and E4.80 igus cable tracks - more sizes for the E4Q, E2.1 and E2/000 series are already in planning.

The basic principle of the new low-cost sensor system is simple: conductive elements are included in the high-performance polymers of almost all igus products in the tribologically loaded areas. By clever geometric positioning of these elements, clear statements can be made about the life of the product in the event of an electrical interruption or a change in resistance. This information can simply be relayed to the operator via the system monitor and, for example, when the 25 percent level is reached, linked to information about the imminent cable track replacement. The i.Sense EC.W sensor offers significant added value, especially for harsh, dark and dirty environments and for applications that are frequently visited or difficult to reach. It is mounted on the last cross connector on the fixed point side and records the current state of the side sections of the cable truss. The sensor measures the distance between the cross connectors, which narrows proportionally to the abrasion of the sides of the cable caterpillar. Thus, the sensor can be used to remotely monitor any wear part of the machine - which could benefit many other motion plastics in the future.

Condition-based alarms can prevent unplanned downtime or unnecessary or premature replacement of the cable caterpillar - which is also a benefit in terms of sustainability. This means that cable tracks are no longer replaced according to maintenance intervals, but only when needed - ultimately reducing maintenance costs as well. By connecting the lifetime sensor directly to the plant's control system, costs can be reduced to 80%. To ensure the best possible product quality, igus conducts numerous tests in the test laboratory. For cable beads alone, more than three billion test cycles are recorded and analyzed each year. These tests are used to continuously optimize and refine igus products. For example, development engineers have greatly reduced the dimensions of the lifetime sensor to 2.5 mm x 4 mm, allowing measurements to be taken at other points and generating clear status information for almost all sliding applications. When combined with the igus life calculators, the possibilities are thus unlimited.