Capital Equipment News November 2021

CONDITION MONITORING

Sensors can be added to machinery to convert it into ‘smart’ assets. Pictured is a Wi-Care 110 sensor monitoring vibration and temperature on an AC induction motor and transmitting the data to the I-SEE cloud-based software platform.

IIoT – the mainstay for condition monitoring

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has become an easy win for condition monitoring. This feature explores how condition monitoring specialist WearCheck has integrated IIoT into its condition monitoring technologies, and the benefits this has brought to the supplier and end-user alike. By Mark Botha .

W hen asked about how condition moni- toring has benefitted from the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), WearCheck reliability engineer Jaco Willer says that, until fairly recently, in- dustrial machines were ‘dumb’ in that they produced data but could do nothing with it. Now, he says, with the IIoT or Industry 4.0, these ‘dumb’ machines are being catapulted into a new way of operating.

“In the last few years, there has been a notable spike in online installations in all industries driven by Industry 4.0 and this trend is particularly evident in the condition monitoring industry.” He cites the example of online vibration transducers that have revolutionised the monitoring process. “The addition of sensors makes machines ‘smart’ and enables them to collect data, store it and transmit it over the internet to analytical software applications that

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