ABB launches smart sensor to monitor bearing condition

ABB launched the ABB Ability Smart Sensor for Dodge mounted bearings, part of the ABB Ability Digital Powertrain, that enables “health checks” for bearings. The smart sensor technology provides an early indicator of any potential problems by assessing the condition of bearings from vibration and temperature information.  This helps to prevent downtime on applications such as conveyors found in the mining, aggregate, and cement industries.

The company, which has focused on making mounted bearing products for more than a century, has tens of millions of mounted bearings working in applications throughout the world. Throughout the development of the smart sensor, it leaned on its body of knowledge about bearings to bring to market an option that would improve reliability, eliminate unplanned downtime, and increase safety.

“This is more of a transformation for Dodge,” says Matt Frady, general product manager for ABB, “This is going to help us step into the digital world.” He notes the company will be able to collect significant data from the sensors installed on its bearings and help customers improve their process.

The sensors use algorithms to assess, manage, and ensure performance of components. Eighty percent of bearing failures are lubrication related and a bearing “running hot” can indicate that proper lubrication procedures are not in place. Monitoring a bearing’s vibration can indicate potential system problems.

The smart sensor easily mounts to the bearing and communicates wirelessly via a smartphone or other device. This capability keeps employees safe, enabling easy access to the health data of bearings in locations that may be difficult or dangerous to reach. The sensor is battery operated and requires no wiring, special tools, or software. It also can be retrofitted on existing Dodge bearings.

“Bearings are critical components in conveyor systems and are often the first indicator of a system problem,” says Artur Rdzanek, product manager for sensor technologies, Dodge mechanical products at ABB.  “The display of the health status of the bearing enables operators to quickly and safely identify a potential problem, which allows them to schedule maintenance and prevent unplanned downtime.”

The ABB Ability platform, where users can monitor and analyze bearing performance, was built using technology from Microsoft’s Azure cloud services, IBM Watson’s machine learning and AI, and SAP HANA’s big-data query tools. Access to the platform, which brings together all of ABB’s digital solutions and services, is free for those who have purchased one or more sensor and allows producers to compare performance data of bearings across systems or plants.