smart plastics on rail mounted gantry crane | igus

Characteristics

• What was needed: Energy chains with condition monitoring systems for the detection of tensile/push force (iSense EC.P) , for monitoring of cable tensile force (iSense CF.P) and for breakage detection (iSense EC.B) as well as a predictive maintenance system  
• Requirements: Safe and failure-free operation of a large number of heavy cables in adverse environmental conditions
• Industry: cranes
• Success for the customer: With the installation of smart plastics, the customer now has full control, overview and security for the energy supply on his RMG crane

The challenge

As already mentioned in the description, a high number of cables are installed in the two e-chains®. This large number also places a high load and stress on the e-chains®. As with most machines, this crane is designed for long and constant operating times. Even short and especially unplanned stops are undesirable and must be avoided. In addition to the desired long service life in connection with the loads mentioned, the most varied weather conditions naturally also come into play. Wind and weather put a strain on the material, but the function should be 100% guaranteed in every season, because the cranes in port facilities have to perform at their best. 
The customer therefore opted for the complete smart plastics crane package and now has full control, overview and safety for the energy supply system on his RMG crane. 

Solution

To meet the customer's demands and all other challenges, 3 condition monitoring systems  i.Sense EC.P (push/pull force detection on e-chains®), i. Sense CF.P (tensile force monitoring on cables) and i. Sense EC.B (breakage detection on e-chains) are installed.
Second, a predictive maintenance system is installed. All systems are coordinated with one another and delivered and installed as a package.
 
Advantages of condition monitoring:

• In the event of an incident with an energy chain, be it a bent guide trough, foreign bodies in the guide trough, a blockage or the breakage of a chain link, the crane operator is informed of the incident  and, if desired, the system can also be stopped at once.

The advantages of predictive maintenance:
 

• Incorporates the functions of condition monitoring and sends a 
• Signal regarding maintenance information or replacement of the e-chain®
• All sensor data can be viewed online or in the company network via a dashboard in real time
• Retrievable from different end devices/output channels 
• It is possible to set alarms and to respond to increasing force values on the e-chain® or cables and to plan a maintenance intervention on time.
•  Values such as temperature, acceleration, speed can be called up in real time via the dashboard    

EC.B Sensor on the floating moving end

Assembly by means of support plate on the steel mounting bracket

smart plastics modules in the control cabinet

Installation right on the top-hat (DIN) rail