Condition monitoring system with smart sensor technology for machine data acquisition

igus® i.Sense: Eliminate unplanned downtime and increase machine availability with smart plastics

"Trust is good, control is better" - smart plastics gives you full control over your systems. smart plastics combine igus high-performance plastics with state-of-the-art sensor technology. The condition monitoring system i.Sense for energy chains and cables consists of several components.

Various sensors are available for machine data acquisition, depending on the application. This means that both mechanical factors such as push/pull forces are recorded as well as electrical ones, such as the cable quality. The connected i.Sense module in the switch cabinet, evaluates all sensor data and triggers follow-up actions. This allows direct input into the machine control system and location-independent visualisation within an online dashboard. It provides the foundations for condition-based maintenance in the smart factory.

Contact an expert

Condition monitoring technology and components from i.Sense in detail:

Collect data - analyse data - distribute data

i.Sense sensors
i.Sense smart condition monitoring sensors are used to continuously monitor the operating condition of moving components. They can perform various functions, depending on the application. In energy chains, they are used to monitor push/pull forces (i.Sense EC.P) and to identify chain breaks at an early stage (i.Sense EC.B).

With guided chainflex® cables, the modern sensor technology from smart plastic the tensile forces on the cables are monitored (i.Sense CF.P), the cable quality (i.Sense CF.Q) and the data transmission rate (i.Sense CF.D) are measured. All i.Sense Sensors for condition monitoring can also be subsequently integrated into the energy supply or energy chain.

Learn more

Condition monitoring system evaluation module

i.Sense evaluation module
All the sensor data supplied can then be analysed during operation with the i.Sense Module II analysed which is mounted in the control cabinet of the system to be monitored. In active fault management, all movement anomalies are recognised there and reported directly to the user or the machine control, e.g. Siemens PLC, reported.

With the latest generation, up to Four condition monitoring sensors for energy chain and cable simultaneously can be connected to just one control cabinet module, which means considerable space and cost savings. The new module offers many typical Industry 4.0 use cases, such as remote resetting via WLAN/SMS and an SMS/e-mail alarm function.

Learn more

i.Sense connectivity
In addition to the direct integration into the PLC system control in order to be able to prevent total machine failurethe i.Sense module offers even more network options. One is location-independent alerting with the optional SMS module. Another is that all acquired sensor data can be output to an online dashboard.

Some Condition Monitoring Dashboard visualises the remaining service life of components equipped with smart technology online or locally at a glance. The current condition is also displayed in colour using a traffic light code. This immediately gives the system operator a clear picture of the system's condition.

Learn more

How does smart plant monitoring work with i.Sense, the condition monitoring system?

The advantages of the intelligent condition monitoring system - i.Sense:

▲ Tech up

Increase machine availability and maximum service life
Better fault analysis thanks to real-time machine data acquisition
Easy to integrate into Industry 4.0/smart factory concepts

▼ Cost down

Eliminate unplanned downtime and machine failures
Reduce maintenance costs with early warnings
Implement condition-based maintenance

Examples of condition monitoring successfully implemented in practice

Condition monitoring system in the gantry

"Maximum reliability"

"Thanks to the digital condition monitoring and networking of the plant and products, it is possible to continuously record the condition of the components and get a predictive notification as soon as a repair or replacement is required."
Daniel Bangerter, Head of Customer Care at Güdel Deutschland GmbH

Overview of condition monitoring examples

Customer applications worldwide

In international automotive production, the global crane industry, or regional wastewater plants: i.Sense condition monitoring systems are successfully used wherever maintenance costs are saved and machine downtime is prevented: G to the application overview

Condition monitoring systems for energy chain condition monitoring:

i.Sense EC.P condition monitoring system

Push/pull force monitoring with i.Sense EC.P

Measures the push/pull forces on the e-chain
Recommends shutdown of the equipment if a force limit is exceeded

to the i.Sense EC.P product page

i.Sense EC.B condition monitoring system

Breakage detection for e-chains with i.Sense EC.B

Detects chain breakage in the early stages
Prevents overloading and subsequent system failure

to the i.Sense EC.B product page

Low-cost condition monitoring with i.Sense EC.W

Real-time chain condition monitoring
Direct, wired connection to the machine control system

to the i.Sense EC.W product page

Condition monitoring systems for cable condition monitoring:

i.Sense CF.P condition monitoring system

i.Sense CF.P: tensile force monitoring for cables

Measures the forces directly at the strain relief element
Triggers a shutdown by means of the NC contact if forces are excessive

to the i.Sense CF.P product page

i.Sense CF.Q condition monitoring system

Cable quality monitoring with i.Sense CF.Q

Measures the quality of the cable cores
Sends a signal in the event of a core rupture or stops the system via a normally closed contact if desired

to the i.Sense CF.Q product page

i.Sense CF.D condition monitoring system

Data transmission monitoring with i.Sense CF.D

Integrated in the cable, no extra measuring cable necessary
Package losses are detected in good time
Alarm via normally closed contact or network

to the i.Sense CF.D product page

When do I need a smart condition monitoring system for energy chains?

The most important applications of condition monitoring at a glance:

When regular maintenance work requires complete production shutdown ...

When motion anomalies cannot be detected by humans in time ...

If plants or machines need to be monitored frequently or continuously ...

If energy supply system travels are difficult to access or view ...

If maintenance work poses a health or safety risk ...

If maintenance costs are to be reduced and service life extended ...

Condition monitoring systems form the basis for predictive maintenance

smart plastics always gives you the right maintenance strategy

For a solid foundation for predictive maintenance concepts, you need a smart network of individual condition monitoring systems. At igus, everything related to predictive maintenance falls under the term i.Cee. Similarly, i.Sense encompasses all condition monitoring systems.

The central element here is the i.Cee software, which, combined with i.Sense condition monitoring sensors on the energy chain, the plain bearing bushing, or a linear carriage, transform stock products into smart ones. This upgrade creates the capability of determining maximum service life and optimal maintenance intervals in real time based on real usage data.

Discover predictive maintenance with igus

smart plastics FAQs

What is condition monitoring? Condition monitoring is the regular or continuous recording or monitoring of the condition of a machine (especially for rotating components or moving applications), system, or process.