Site: engine plant in Austria. Application: indoor linear robot for the automated handling of engine blocks. At the engine plant in Austria, the largest and most important engine plant of a major German car manufacturer, an engine comes off the assembly lines every 14 seconds on average - at peak times more than 6,000 engines are produced each working day. This extremely high output can only be achieved with a high degree of automation and with extremely reliable components. The goal of the operators is to always avoid failures and system downtimes if possible. These high standards were therefore also set for the energy supply system of the indoor gantry. In fact, this later has to work continuously in 18 to 19 shifts per week with high dynamics. Future energy supplies can quickly reach cycles in the millions.
In order to minimise weight and noise compared to steel chains used to guide the moving cables on the linear robots, the manufacturer relies on plastic energy chains from igus. But these are not their only advantages: due to the increasingly important topic of 'predictive maintenance' in the industry, igus® has been developing the so-called 'smart plastics', intelligent plastic products, for some years now. "This product family, which we have grouped together under the brand name isense, comprises various sensors and monitoring modules with which, for example, the energy chain systems from igus® can be equipped," explains Michael Blaß, Vice President e-chain systems® at igus®. "Thanks to the digital networking of machines and products, it is possible to continuously record the condition of the components and to notify as soon as a repair or replacement is required. "That way it is possible to avoid unplanned plant downtimes and expensive production losses.
With the help of a polymer wire (inside the energy chain) and a sensor unit, isense EC.B modules monitor the condition of the chain. In the event of a chain breakage, the machine is stopped automatically to prevent damage.
isense EC.W modules have also been built in. A sensor built into the crossbar signals advanced wear of the chain. The measurement of wear data means that a chain's remaining service life can be predicted and replacement can be planned at an early stage.
Industry: Automotive
Which smart plastics technology is used?
P4.1 roller chain, i.Sense EC.B, chainflex cables
Why is it used?
Increase in plant safety and availability; complete project implementation from a single source; smart early warning system.
Industry: Crane
Which smart plastics technology is used?
i.Sense EC.P for permanent monitoring of the system
Why is it used?
The system includes intelligent sensors for monitoring the pull/push forces, which can be used for an emergency shutdown in the event of increased forces.
Industry: Crane
Which smart plastics technology is used?
Roller energy chains with the iSense EC.P pull/push force detectio.
Why is it used?
To avoid system damage and failures through preventive maintenance or remote intervention.
Industry: Crane
Which smart plastics technology is used?
EC.P for push/pull forces, EC.B for chain breaks, CF.P for measuring tensile force on cables, EC.M for movement data and EC.W for measuring abrasion and a predictive maintenance system.
Why is it used?
The customer now has full control, overview and safety.
Industry: Automotive
Industry: Transport
Industry: Packaging
Which smart plastics technology is used?
E4.1L e-chains® and chainflex® cables pre-assembled as a readychain, CF.Q isense sensors, Module Connect connector.
Industry: Robotics
Which smart plastics technology is used?
EC.M sensor for motion data and EC.W sensor for the measurement of abrasion along the energy chain
Industry: Mining
Which smart plastics technology is used?
EC. P System as a cleaning or maintenance reminder.
Why is it used?
The heavy dust arising during the movement of bauxite is an enormous stress, especially for moving machine components.
Industry: Wastewater and sewage treatment plants
Industry: Agriculture
Our intelligent e-chain® systems are already reliably in use in hundreds of thousands of applications worldwide - from beverage machines and CNC machines to steel mills.
Smart plain bearings are great for sensitive or hard-to-reach spots on a machine, since they allow the bearing's condition to be assessed at any time.
Whether a new project for Industry 4.0 or efficiency-driven retrofitting - our smart plastics solutions are available as universal modular systems and can be individually adapted to any system.