Conditioning monitoring has raised the bar for visibility into manufacturing equipment status. You no longer have to wait for periodic inspections to determine if a machine needs maintenance or is exhibiting signs of failure. Smart conditioning monitoring systems work continuously to detect deviations from normal operating parameters help so that manufacturers can schedule maintenance or rotate equipment to prevent downtime, lost revenues, and, possibly, catastrophic equipment damage.
In addition, equipment manufacturers also use conditioning monitoring for testing and measurement to provide finely tuned machines and specs that businesses can use to keep them that way. Condition monitoring solutions also contribute added benefits, such as real-time data that manufacturers can use to streamline processes and improve product quality or offer customers service and support remote monitoring.
The manufacturing industry has reached the tipping point with smart manufacturing implementation. Gartner research shows that as of mid-2021, 50 percent of manufacturers have implemented a smart manufacturing strategy that includes condition monitoring. Moreover, more businesses will likely follow suit, as 86 percent see it as integral to a digital supply chain strategy, and 84 percent say it increases overall competitiveness.
Our Top Condition Monitoring Solution Picks
It’s unlikely that a manufacturer will find an off-the-shelf, end-to-end condition monitoring solution that delivers all required functionality. However, you can build the ideal system by choosing the right data acquisition, machine condition monitoring and input/output (I/O) for your use case.
Here are our top picks for the tech you need:
Data Acquisition
Data acquisition is essential to Internet of Things (IoT) device functionality, especially in industrial settings. You need accurate, precise data to gain visibility into equipment status – and these solutions will enable you to collect it:
The MCM-216/218 DAQs simplify data acquisition by eliminating the need for a host computer – they are standalone edge devices that can provide continual sensor measurement. These Ethernet-based sensors are built on 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processors that feature built-in 16 or 8 channel, 16-bit resolution voltage, or current inputs.
The DAQs also make distributed and remote data acquisition possible without distance restrictions or reliance on additional hardware.
Bulletin 1441 Dynamix™ 2500 portable data collectors support condition monitoring and test and measurement environments. These portable data collectors are flexible for preventive maintenance or to provide key machinery vibration data for analysis, in a range of temperatures.
Machine Condition Monitoring
Conditioning monitoring platforms are designed with specific industrial environments in mind, for example:
This platform, ideal for remote real-time monitoring, analysis, and control, provides a highly optimized machine condition monitoring solution to large-scale infrastructure. The MCM-204 is designed as a standalone DAQ device that operates without a host computer and includes dual Ethernet ports that enable daisy-chain connections to multiple devices and to transmit data to the backend server. It features a 240-bit high-resolution ADC and 128kS/s sampling rate, and all channels have built-in IEPE 4mA excitation current source, eliminating the need for additional signal conditioning. It can also support digital tachometer, temperature sensor, voltage output, and current sensor functions.
This platform provides 24-7 continuous data collection and vibration measurement with maximum precision. This solution combines data collection, vibration analysis, algorithms, computation, and network connectivity all in one system.
The MCM-100 delivers high computing power, 24-bit data resolution, and 128KS/s sampling rate for rotation machinery and equipment. Additionally, each MCM-100 unit can connect to multiple sensors to monitor several machines simultaneously.
The vbOnline Pro is purpose-built to monitor machinery with rolling element bearings and complex gear trains. Its 12-channel sampling system is built to monitor vibrations, and it can differentiate vibration due to acceleration, velocity, and more.
This monitor has two tachometer channels for measurement via a variety of pulse-based speed sensors, such as magnetic pickups, proximity switches, and laser or optical TTL sensors.
I/O
These I/O modules enable manufacturers to get the maximum benefit from diverse signal types used in their IoT environments:
NuDAM modules facilitate direct communication with a range of sensors used in facility monitoring, environment monitoring, and industrial process control and perform signal conditioning, scaling, linearization and conversion. They can acquire digital and analog inputs and outputs of measurements including temperature, pressure, flow, and voltage and support Modbus and ASCII communication protocols. Moreover, NuDAM’s user-friendly interface makes initialization, configuration and testing simpler than other solutions.
For applications such as steel mills and aviation manufacturing, NI offers a hardware and software solution that collects and delivers data validation for test and monitoring. CompactDAQ solutions are portable and customizable using data acquisition modules that can synchronize measurements across the entire network.
Which Condition Monitoring Solution Will You Use?
Technology advances, customer demands, and competitive pressures continue to drive industrial automation. However, finding the right solutions – especially those that can meet your needs today and in the future—can be difficult. Rely on ADLINK to support you through the process of choosing, configuring, and implementing your solution. Our 25 years of experience in industrial automation have earned us recognition, most recently as one of BISinfotech’s Top 10 Industrial Automation Manufacturers in the World. We can put that experience to work for you as you take your operation one step closer to evolving into a smart factory.
Learn more at ADLINK Test and Measurement.
