Condition monitoring of drive motors
Condition-based maintenance of motors to prevent unplanned machine downtime
Goal of the project
Drive motors are the core components of many machines and are crucial for the availability of the entire plant. They are used in diverse applications. For example, they are the key component of conveyor systems, retrieval systems, separators, machine tools, hydraulic systems, fans and pumps. Motor malfunctions, which can affect process quality or cause standstills, can be caused by various factors. However, the damage is usually only noticed during maintenance or if the machine or plant breaks down and then causes expensive resulting damage. The motors are used until they fail. However, since these breakdowns occur unexpectedly, there must always be enough motors in stock for quick replacement. This results in additional costs due to high inventory levels.
When monitoring a motor, numerous components are relevant for evaluating its actual condition. Through the targeted use of sensors and software, motors can be permanently monitored and unplanned downtimes can be avoided. The resulting condition-based maintenance optimises plant availability and reduces costs in the long term.
Avoidance of unplanned |
Early detection |
Setup possible |
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On average, customers achieve: |
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6 h savings in labour hours |
€ 1,000 lower |
€ 5,000 cost savings through prevention |
Monitor several motor components individually
The IIoT platform moneo offers solutions for various requirements that specifically monitor processes, making them easier to plan. To monitor a motor, various parameters are recorded via sensors and processed into informative data in the software. Analysing the data provides information about the condition of the motor. Any deviation from individually defined threshold values automatically triggers an alarm. This means that even smaller malfunctions that without monitoring would have remained hidden, but sooner or later would result in major damage, become apparent.
The early detection of sources of faults offers several advantages. It prevents expensive production downtimes and enables motor maintenance based on condition (and not based on time interval). This in turn ensures stable production processes and improves the quality of the manufactured products.
Value proposition
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Machine availabilityHow can you monitor all motor components simultaneously with just one tool?
To monitor a motor, numerous variables must be included that describe a motor’s actual condition. These include, for example, soiling, wear on the drive belt, operating hours monitoring and temperature monitoring. In practice, however, often no monitoring takes place and the situation escalates when the motor fails and needs to be replaced. With targeted monitoring, unplanned downtimes and the resulting costs can be prevented.
This is exactly the kind of prevention that is possible with moneo. By constantly recording and analysing the sensor data, typical motor defects including unbalanced vibration, shaft misalignment, rolling bearing damage, unbalance or wear can be detected and prevented at an early stage.
In a nutshell: all components monitored via sensors are visualised in the software and presented in a user-friendly manner. Operation is intuitive and possible without any programming skills. moneo can also be used independently or implemented into the company’s IT system.
moneo simulation video
Maximum motor performance through automated maintenance planning
The comprehensive solution of ifm sensors and moneo software offers a range of options and interfaces to various systems to support process automation. Data processed in moneo can be extracted via various protocols such as MQTT and OPC UA and integrated into your specific successor system. The integration of the shop floor integration (SFI) interface also enables a direct connection to the SAP PM module.
If motor defects are detected, a message or an order can be automatically created in SAP PM and the procurement of spare parts can be automatically triggered in SAP. This allows for timely, predictable replacement, resulting in reduced inventory cost and trouble-free operation.
ifm also offers the necessary interfaces for you to save your data in the cloud and use it for further analysis if necessary.
- moneo
MQTT or OPC UA →AWS, Azure, SAP - SAP Integration
SFI (shop floor integration) →SAP PM - Alarm
email notification (threshold) - Spare parts
automatic ordering through SAP - Cloud and on-premises
possible with the cloud and on-premises solutions
Technical insight: how motor monitoring works
Ifm offers you the perfect complete solution for monitoring motors with comprehensive sensor technology and continuously developed software. First step – the hardware: The sensors required to record motor characteristics (e.g. vibration, power, speed, temperature) are assembled and connected electrically with any other necessary components according to the instructions.
In addition, diagnostic electronics carries out vibration monitoring. An appropriate selector is available for this purpose to support the selection of the parameter set and make it available for download. The parameter set is then transferred to the diagnostic electronics using the Application Package Assistant software tool and completely preconfigured with the appropriate threshold values for the respective application. The visualisation, alerting and monitoring of all the data is carried out using a condition monitoring tool in moneo. The software for this purpose is installed centrally on a server or as a cloud application. Data can also be managed in the cloud via an interface. We provide the ready-to-use vAppliance for on-premises server installation. It is easy to install in your virtualisation environment.
Does monitoring with software still sound too abstract for you?
Then let’s make it concrete with the example of speed detection: Continuous speed measurement in conjunction with a speed-dependent operating hour counter enables inspection intervals to be based on the actual running time. Permanent vibration diagnostics also makes it possible to plan the replacement of components and avoid unplanned downtimes – since possible malfunctions such as shaft misalignment, rolling bearing damage, unbalance and wear can be detected in good time.
A welcome additional benefit: there is no unnecessary inventory cost, since condition-based maintenance allows for targeted maintenance and replacement of the motors as required. The ordering and replacement of components can therefore be planned.
System structure
- IO-Link master (VLAN)
- IO-Link vibration sensor
- IO-Link power sensor
- IO-Link speed monitor
- IO-Link temperature sensor
Diagnostic electronics
- Application Package Assistant
- Diagnostic electronics (parameter set)
moneo (condition monitoring tool)
- Historical data
- Visualisation
- Monitoring
- Alarm function