Imagine having to conduct maintenance checks on an 11-axis CNC (computer numerical control) machine that is so large, a boom lift is needed for operators to inspect its motors on higher levels. Most CNC machines consist of a computer-controlled motorised tool and platform that are manoeuvered together to process raw materials.
What if there was an easier solution that didn’t literally involve sending technicians to new heights? A solution that monitored CNC machines remotely, for instance, would help save time, boost safety and even anticipate failures before they happened.
At the Bosch Rexroth Regional Training Centre (BRRTC), a proof-of-concept (POC) was developed to do just that.
“We proposed a wireless condition monitoring system to provide predictive maintenance,” said Mr Javier Chan, the i4.0 applications engineer and POC lead at the BRRTC. “With wireless sensors, data such as vibration and current consumption are sent to our Internet of Things (IoT) gateway. The data is stored to study machine faults as well as monitored to detect warning signs of failure.”
The POC was for a machine that belonged to ST Engineering Land Systems, one of the companies that sought to tap on BRRTC’s expertise in advanced manufacturing technologies. The BRRTC is a joint collaboration between SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), Singapore Polytechnic, JTC, the Singapore-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Bosch Rexroth, which has been involved in hydraulics and factory automation since 1977.
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