Detect damage early on

Mobile machines are often exposed to harsh working and environmental conditions, so smooth operation is essential. This is why it is essential to monitor both the process and the condition of critical components. Vibrations and temperature changes are key indicators that can provide early warning of damage to roller bearings, dirt deposits on rotating components, insufficient lubrication, and other machine problems. The new VMB vibration sensor from ifm, which was specially designed for mobile machines thanks to the CANopen protocol, can help to detect costly machine downtime at an early stage and reliably prevent it.

ifm now offers the new VMB condition monitoring sensor specifically for use in mobile machinery. It continuously measures vibrations in all three spatial directions. The sensor uses the recorded measured values to calculate proven condition indicators for evaluating the machine condition: information about fatigue (v-RMS), mechanical friction (a-RMS), shocks (a-Peak), early detection of bearing wear (crest factor), real-time bearing analysis (BearingScout) and dynamic imbalance analysis with the speed of the working machine. In addition, the surface temperature is transmitted as an additional wear indicator. The smart sensor thus offers integrated and high-performance condition monitoring in a compact device.

Communication with higher-level control hardware takes place via CANopen. For communication between machines and a cloud solution, ifm offers a unique product portfolio for the mobile market, providing everything needed to send data from remote machines directly to the cloud. The VMB is optimally equipped for the harsh environmental conditions that prevail in many applications. The measuring cell operates at ambient temperatures between -40 °C and +80 °C and meets the high protection classes IP6K7, IP6K8, and IP6K9K. The sensor also has E1 vehicle approval.

High demands due to new technologies

Condition monitoring in mobile machines is also becoming increasingly relevant due to the use of new technological milestones. Autonomous operation of mobile machines for agriculture, municipal technology, or construction is increasingly becoming the standard, increasing cost efficiency and precision and reducing the burden on the operator. There is no longer a machine operator on site who could detect sudden faults or unexpected events at an early stage.

Innovative drive concepts, such as electric or hydrogen drives, also place new demands on the intelligence of the machine. These drive technologies are generally more sensitive to shocks and vibrations than robust diesel engines and should therefore be monitored with modern condition monitoring. New business models in which machines are rented out or the performance of a machine is offered as an “as-a-service model” also require sophisticated fleet management and continuous remote access in real time – the new condition monitoring sensor is the watchful eye on site for the service technician.

Condition monitoring of mobile machines, as enabled by the new VMB, is used in numerous industries and areas. The spectrum ranges from self-propelled mowers for municipal use to pumps that operate as rental equipment in mines worldwide to rail-bound stacker cranes in port facilities.