FEATURE COVER STORY
SMART PLASTICS FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 condition monitoring and predictive maintenance
Smart plastics technology from igus enables customers to increase plant availability, maximise uptime and reduce costs through condition monitoring and predictive maintenance
M
otion plastics specialist igus has announced new technologies to
enable Industry 4.0 applications: smart plastics. This evolution of its cable, energy chain and linear bearing products embeds intelligence into its motion plastics via the addition of sensing, monitoring and communications. Using smart plastics customers can increase plant availability, maximise uptime and reduce costs through condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. igus motion plastics are already used extensively worldwide throughout industry and everyday life in moving applications. Its high performance engineering plastics are self-lubricating and maintenance free as well as being lighter, harder-wearing and more energy efficient than traditional materials.
MORE RELIABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS For dynamic applications this results in more reliable and cost-effective solutions which defy rain, salt and extreme temperatures as well as being resistant to UV, oil and chemicals. Thanks to extensive testing in its
2,750m² test lab in Cologne (the largest facility of its kind in the world) igus is able to accurately predict the service life of its motion plastics, offering reliability guarantees. Smart plastics represent the next step for motion plastics: adding intelligence and networking to enable
Industry 4.0 smart factories of the future via automated condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, improving reliability and reducing costs. Intelligent cables, energy chains and
linear guides constantly monitor themselves, providing performance data and early warning of critical wear. isense encompasses a range of sensing technologies and monitoring modules while networking with the igus Communication Module (icom) provides direct integration with the customer's IT infrastructure or the igus data cloud.
CONTINUOUS MONITORING “isense continuously monitors the service life of your e-chain, cable or linear guide
Thanks to extensive testing in its 2,750m² test lab in Cologne igus is able to accurately predict the service life of its motion plastics
via measurements and calculations using the parameters of your system,” says managing director Matthew Aldridge. “These measurements are referenced against aggregated test data from the igus test laboratory to reliably predict smooth functioning in real world operation. Alerts are sent when measured values exceed thresholds, allowing timely maintenance or replacement.” Data can be optionally shared with the
isense continuously monitors the service life of your e-chain, cable or linear guide via measurements and calculations using your system parameters
igus data centre, opening up additional possibilities for customised service life calculation and optimisation of business processes including maintenance commissioning, spare parts ordering and just-in-time delivery. In this way electronic intelligence lowers maintenance costs even further and increases plant availability. Based in Northampton, UK and with
global headquarters in Cologne, Germany, igus is a leading international manufacturer of energy chain systems and polymer plain bearings. The family- run company is represented in 35 countries and employs approximately 3,000 people worldwide. Visit the igus website for further
information about how new igus smart plastics enable predictive maintenance including opportunities for beta testing.
igus T: 01604 677240
www.igus.co.uk/smartplastics twitter.com/igusUK www.igus.co.uk/YouTube www.igus.co.uk/Facebook blog.igus.co.uk
8 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
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