Significantly reduce maintenance costs with igus® predictive maintenance | i.Cee
More time for your own ideas thanks to less downtime with smart plastics
In automotive production, the conveyor belt never stops. Collaborating robot arms for assembly and welding work are in continuous use, as are all the components that supply them with energy and data. It is precisely in such environments that intelligent concepts in the style of predictive maintenance make the most sense. 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.
Different production areas... smartly networked...
Car body construction
The process flows in car body construction are smooth. If a machine part stops, the entire production line breaks down. In order to keep a constant eye on the electrical cables and supply packages of the robots in the rotating movement as well as the linear movement on the 7th axis, igus® has developed its condition monitoring solution i.Sense. It provides information on the current operating status at all times, detects irregularities immediately and prevents unnecessary machine downtime.
Drive train
In the power train production line, there is a high demand for machine reliability. The various stations, some of which have long routes, form a complex system with high dynamics; any damage has an impact on the entire production line. In the ideal case, production runs through without disruptions and shutdowns can be planned sensibly with the help of i.Cee, the predictive maintenance solution from smart plastics.
Final assembly
In the final assembly the final touches are provided in the production chain. However, the demand for trouble-free processes is no less here than it was at the beginning of production. Manipulators, which often assist people in manufacturing during this step, should be easy to move. Here, energy chains made of polymer, lightweight but tough, are just right. With supporting rollers, even long distances can be covered steadily and reliably here.
Condition monitoring (i.Sense)
Condition monitoring is the fastest, simplest way to combine many igus® products to form a self-monitoring smart plastics product. Sensors are mounted to measure values (such as temperature, forces and sound waves/vibrations) within predefined limits. Values outside the limits result in an alert or notification. This information provides the basis for taking subsequent steps, such as maintenance or shutting down the system. Values outside defined limits can directly trigger a system shut-down to prevent costly damages and repairs. At igus®, we use the term "i.Sense" (i feel) to refer to condition monitoring.
Predictive maintenance uses sensors, software, and the elements of condition monitoring to create a system that allows dynamic service life calculation and determines the best times for the maintenance of igus® products. This makes predictive maintenance the next step in achieving a comprehensive concept for smart energy supply and bearing technology. This predictive maintenance system is called "i.Cee" (i see ahead) and is available in a wide variety of designs. The goal is always to maximize system and user safety and product service life.
Your data never leaves your corporate network, since the i.Cee software communicates only within the networks you want it to. The options range from an e-chain® within a single machine to a machine park and your own output interface.
i.Cee:cloud
This online solution has two options. In the first, your data is transferred directly to the cloud, where it is made available in a protected area that can be accessed with a browser dashboard. In the second, the data go to an intermediate location on the i. Cee.net: a so-called data concentrator allowing you to stop or adjust data exchange in the cloud.
i.Cee LIVE Dashboard Demo!
The i.Cee Dashboard visualizes all information and movement data of our smart trade show machine online and in real-time at the igus® virtual-real trade show stand in Cologne.
The i.Sense breakage monitoring sensor (EC.B) from smart plastics will alert unforeseen difficulty to this car manufacturer while operating in highly dynamic applications.