Signal conditioning
detects small changes in deformation caused by tension. These signals must be captured, amplified and converted into engineering units using signal conditioning electronics. The data must then be wirelessly transmitted to a base station using an antenna. Finally, the unit needs to be effectively powered by a battery that delivers energy density, long life and a small size.” With the strain gauge and signal conditioning
board in place, the team came up against the first engineering challenge: the battery. The standard cell was sourced from a third-party supplier and was designed for harsh environments. However, it was the battery’s voltage that was the issue. “We used our standard T24 SAE printed circuit board for this kind of application,” explains Lilly. “Although we customised some circuitry for improved power management specific to Habasit’s requirements.” The next novel development challenge was the
antenna. With all the other components inside the link, there was not much room left for a standard antenna. Habasit reached out to a local company but found that having one developed would have taken a year and considerable cost. Mantracourt recommended a supplier who came in within budget and delivered quickly. “The antenna uses a 2.4 GHz radio, but the
INS-APR20-PG11.qxp_Layout 1 17/04/2020 11:23 Page 1
protocol is proprietary, with the language written by Mantracourt,” explains Lilly. “In ideal conditions the range is 800 m, but obviously we don’t have a perfect line of sight in the plant. Our T24 protocol
I
is similar to the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) advertising packet in that it continues to broadcast packets of data until it is told to stop. This means much lower overheads. “Using this approach has another benefit in that
the protocol allows monitoring of multiple transmissions between the sensor devices and the base station or other receivers. This gives Habasit the ability to monitor one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one and many-to-many devices. This means a single operator can use one device to monitor a single link, or multiple operators can use multiple devices to monitor multiple links.” To add to this, Mantracourt’s T24 wireless
telemetry system can link to SensorSpace. This is a cloud-based platform that allows users to remotely monitor the live feed. This data can be stored, graphed and trended using dashboards - and further types of sensors, from pressure and temperature, can be added to understand what is going on across the process. “The result of the project is that we’ve now
launched the sensor,” explains Richardson. “It’s called the Habasit Spiral Smart Link and is designed as an embedded system to monitor belt tension. It allows users to perform non-stop diagnostics, prevent sudden downtime and accurately schedule preventative maintenance for cleaning and sanitation. “The device has been in place with our
original customer for nearly two years and they’ve already been able to increase belt
lifetime, reduce downtime and ultimately reduce their total cost of ownership. We can also remotely monitor the condition of the belt 24/7, support with on-site assistance where necessary and the customer receives direct push notifications via email and SMS. “We’re really pleased with our collaboration
with Mantracourt. The team were really easy to work with and their expertise shone through in the final product. We’ve already placed more orders for components and as our customers begin to roll out the product across the world, there will be opportunity to develop the product and add features. What stands out for me is that we realised an ambitious plan that’s delivered an elegant solution.”
Mantracourt Electronics
www.mantracourt.com
IndySoft Europe Ltd, Linford Forum, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK14 6LY United Kingdom
+44 (0)1908 904 116
sales@indysoft.co.uk www.indysoft.com
Instrumentation Monthly August 2021
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