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SKF Optimizes Industrial Machines with Wireless Sensors and Algorithms, Monitoring 550 Thousand Equipment and 1.7 Million Bearings in Brazil.
Innovation in the monitoring of industrial machines has intensified with the advancement of technologies such as wireless sensors and sophisticated algorithms. These advancements allow leading companies in the sector to perform more accurate and agile diagnostics, ensuring efficient management of equipment used on a large scale in industries. This constantly evolving field aims to optimize not only the performance of industrial machines but also to ensure the longevity of their components, directly reflecting on productivity and operational cost reduction.
In this context, monitoring industrial machines includes technologies that focus, especially, on rotating equipment. The use of advanced sensors contributes to detailed monitoring of complex systems, where the performance of bearings is critical. Specialized service centers like the REP Center play a crucial role in the predictive maintenance of these machines, offering technical support and expertise to ensure that high-precision equipment continues to operate under the best possible conditions. Thus, the industry can continue to rely on its operations with greater peace of mind and efficiency.
Monitoring of Industrial Machines
The center known as the REP Center (Rotating Equipment Performance Center) is an innovation that operates by continuously monitoring the state of rotating equipment, providing detailed diagnostics of industrial machines in operation. Alex Pereira, who leads the Sales and Services area of the Industrial Market at SKF, emphasizes the importance of ensuring optimal performance and maximum longevity of these equipment in industries of all sizes and segments.
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He highlights that the monitoring and predictive maintenance of industrial machines are fundamental to achieving production goals, minimizing the risk of emergency shutdowns and extending the life of bearings. This approach also allows for a significant reduction in operational costs.
Efficiency with the REP Center
The REP Center performs comprehensive virtual monitoring of industrial plants across various sectors, such as Pulp & Paper, Steelmaking, Mining, and Food & Beverages, providing predictability of the conditions of rotating equipment. From this, it is possible to remotely diagnose the wear stage of machines and identify the need for maintenance or bearing replacement.
Alex notes that currently, more than 5.5 million bearings are diagnosed globally, with 1.7 million in Brazil, where they maintain operational performance tracking of 550 thousand machines spread across different locations in the country.
Solutions with Wireless Sensors
To ensure accurate diagnostics on machine operation, the Engineering team at SKF implements wireless sensors that capture vibration data from the equipment. ‘Mechanical movement generates a vibration and, by analyzing the frequency and amplitude of this data, we can predict failures and recommend corrective actions’, explains Alex. This process includes identifying misalignments or imbalances in bearing and gear systems of machines.
In addition to vibration measurements, wireless sensors can capture temperature data, another crucial indicator of the state of industrial machines. Today, SKF can remotely monitor the almost complete performance of industrial machinery. Analyses of lubricants and other parameters such as pressure and flow can be incorporated into predictive analysis software.
Intelligence with Algorithms
The vibration data acquired by the sensors is sent to the cloud, where the Automatic Detection Process (ADP) applies advanced algorithms for analysis. This system can reduce the required analysis points by 70%, prioritizing essential diagnostics and critical urgencies. The algorithms, therefore, promote preliminary identification and filtering of the collected data. Alex explains that the remaining data, about 30%, is sent for human analysis, allowing for detailed diagnostics of anomalies and guidance on the actual need for intervention in the industrial machines.
Reports and ESG
The REP Center also provides detailed reports on machine performance, offering a dashboard to the client that provides real-time insights. It is possible, for example, to determine the right time and way to replace a bearing. If there is a high failure pattern, the company’s Engineering is activated to conduct a detailed study, identifying whether the cause is simple, such as failures in bearing replacement, or complex, requiring in-depth analysis.
The commitment to ESG is another focus of the REP Center. They aim not only to reduce machine downtime but also to decrease bearing consumption. The remanufacturing of bearings is encouraged, reducing CO² consumption, aligning with sustainability practices and resource conservation.
About SKF
SKF, founded in 1907 by Sven Wingquist, the inventor of the self-aligning bearing, is a global leader in industrial solutions. With a total of 70 factories and 43 thousand employees, the company has a strong global presence in 130 countries. In Brazil, its operations began in 1915, with a robust presence today. SKF’s modern factory in Brazil, located in Cajamar, São Paulo, houses the ‘Solution Factory’, which focuses on the development and maintenance of innovative solutions for the industrial sector. Since 2013, its sales operations have been centralized on the Anhanguera Highway.
Source: SKF Press
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