What your machine can tell you through R-Series V sensor technology
The goal of the Industry 4.0 is to increase productivity through smart, transformable, and efficient production. Condition monitoring of production plant machinery is an important aspect of this as information for predictive maintenance can be derived and unplanned downtime avoided. During monitoring, not only machine operating data but also usage information is collected in order to be able to carry out process optimization. MTS Sensors supports these data gathering possibilities with the use of R-Series V sensors and the TempoLink smart assistant.
Sensors should not only track and relay the actual measured value, such as position or speed; sensors should also provide information about their own state and, if possible, support the status monitoring of an application with further data. MTS Sensors has taken this requirement for self-monitoring into account when developing R-Series V. At the beginning of the development, two questions had to be answered:
1.What additional information should a linear position sensor provide on top of the measured values position and speed?
2.How should this additional information be relayed to a user or control unit? To monitor their own status, the R-Series V sensors provide feedback on the quality of the position signal. This makes it possible to check if the sensor and position measurement are affected by damage or environmental influences. An impairment of the position signal can lead to incorrect measurement and thus to incorrect feedback to the controller.
data can be used to analyze and evaluate the moving machine parts similar to a car, where a maintenance interval can be defined based on the total distance travelled.
The number of cycles run can be used to determine whether many short distances or fewer but longer distances were travelled. In addition to this, the operating hours and the temperature inside the sensor are tracked and relayed. An increased ambient temperature can shorten the life span of the electronics. Thus, the temperature can be taken into account as a further value in the context of condition monitoring
For transfer and relay of the additional information, MTS Sensors developed the TempoLink smart assistant. This R-Series V accessory assistant enables the relay of additional information about the status of the sensor. The assistant supports the setup of the sensor in an application and can be used to display and adjust sensor parameters such as resolution, filter settings and direction of measurement.
To display the additional information through the assistant on a device such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC, it is equipped with a Wi-Fi access point. The user connects their device to the TempoLink smart assistant via Wi-Fi and accesses the interface via a web browser. This means that the smart assistant does not have to be integrated into a company network or operated via an app.
Tracking of data and information as well as the following analysis form the basis for Industry 4.0. The amount of additional information that can be relayed via the TempoLink smart assistant will be expanded in the future. Depending on the application, different additional information is needed, always pursuing the same goal: to gain more knowledge about the application. With the R-Series V equipment, MTS Sensors provides linear position sensors and tools which support the recording of relevant machine data. By analyzing the tracked data, the user gets to know the machine better and can identify possible improvements in the production process.
