New Business Models with Networked Sensors and AI
Enabling Reliable System Analyses with Smart Machine Components
What began in 2013 with academic research at the Technical University of Darmstadt has now been successfully growing for four years as a multi-award-winning start-up (e.g., Hermes Award 2021 at Hannover Messe).
“We teach your machine elements to feel” – This is the company slogan of core sensing GmbH from Darmstadt, which specializes in the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of measurement data from inside machines and commercial vehicles.
Sensing Machine Components – What Exactly Is Behind This?
The heart of core sensing technology is the integrated sensor body coreIN, which is equipped with strain gauges before assembly and then integrated into the component to be monitored using a patented joining process. The integration of the sensor technology can be flexibly incorporated into the manufacturing process of a machine component, so that the components enhanced with “intelligence” can still be further processed after sensor integration, e.g., by welding, milling, or surface treatment.
The measurement is therefore performed directly inside the component, precisely at the point of load. The required type of power supply is available according to customer requirements. Options include a battery variant (operating times of up to 2 years), a rotational energy harvester, or inductive energy transmission.
The measurement electronics are also integrated into the component, protecting them from harmful external influences. In addition to a 2-channel strain gauge amplifier, the integrated electronics feature a powerful microcontroller for data processing and storing measurement data, as well as a radio module. Through data reduction and preprocessing, only relevant events as well as accumulated load spectra and damage values are stored locally and transmitted in reduced form when needed. This allows a smart machine element to autonomously record data that can be read out at a later time. Additionally, the electronics contain further sensors such as a 3-axis acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, and a temperature sensor.
For transmitting measurement results to the control system of a machine or installation, the gateway coreGATE receives the wirelessly transmitted measurement values and forwards them via cable as analog or digital signals to existing measurement and control systems (Fig. 1). For quick evaluation via tablet or smartphone, measurement data is displayed and analyzed using the coreVIEWER app.
Online Condition Monitoring Through Integrated Intelligence
The combination of available measurement data from various sensors, computing capacity, and integrated memory enables comprehensive, intelligent monitoring of loads and current conditions.
The software toolbox coreINSIGHT is used for monitoring components and systems as well as for planning maintenance. Load spectra are generated from continuous measurement values and a cumulative damage sum is calculated from them. This enables a prognosis of the component’s remaining service life. This allows for more reliable planning of maintenance intervals based not on operating hours, but on the calculated remaining service life of the components. And not only for the component itself, but also for other components and systems in the load path.
By capturing actual usage data and the insights generated from it, new business models are enabled for OEMs. This puts OEMs in a more favorable position to offer optimized service performance in addition to machine sales.
Innovative Value Potential for Machine and System Operators
In addition to successful implementations of core sensing technology in cardan shafts from ELBE, couplings from R+W, and threaded spindles from Bornemann, applications for viscosity monitoring, valve control, and other use cases are now in the implementation phase.
The technological approach and the now expanded product portfolio from core sensing become even more interesting for pay-per-X business models, which enable OEMs new ways of increasing revenue and efficiency and will thereby be able to realize new IoT-based business models. The greatest potential will likely emerge in this area once “machine elements have been taught to feel.” Especially when a company enters this new world of mechanical engineering with the highly motivated and agile team from core sensing.
The experts at core sensing do not evaluate a large data cloud with just any AI algorithm; rather, as engineers, they are not only at the pulse and blood pressure of the component but particularly understand the mechanics behind the load conditions.
