Enhancing maintenance strategy with Balluff's Condition Monitoring Toolkit (CMTK)

Industry: Packaging materials manufacturing | Customer: A global leader in packaging materials manufacturing based in Ireland 

Our customer was looking for a new preventive maintenance strategy leveraging their digitalization approach. They aimed to monitor critical motors for vibration and temperature to ensure efficient machine availability and actionable insights based on real-time data. 

Situation 

Our customer, a global leader in paper-based packaging, including corrugated packaging, containerboard, and “bag in box” products, was exploring innovative maintenance strategies to enhance operational efficiency. They identified two critical motors that required continuous monitoring of vibration and temperature. The primary goal was to collect accurate data that would enable proactive decision-making and optimal machine performance. 

Challenge 

The challenge was to implement a comprehensive monitoring system that could provide continuous, real-time data on the vibration and temperature of critical motors. The customers needed a reliable solution that could be easily integrated into their existing infrastructure, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum efficiency. Additionally, there was a need to extend the monitoring system to include flow sensors in the future. 

Key data points of condition monitoring 

This illustration shows the most common indicators and types of data that can be collected using an appropriate condition monitoring approach, ideally detecting potential weak points and failures long before they occur by monitoring, for example, vibration or temperature. 

Solution 

Balluff proposed a complete solution including the installation and configuration of the CMTK (Condition Monitoring Toolkit). The CMTK wizard provided a significant advantage for the customer's existing BCM (Balluff Condition Monitoring) sensor setup offering seamless integration and setup. 

How does it work? 

1. Monitoring of critical motors: CMTK continuously monitors vibration and temperature of the two critical motors, providing 24/7 monitoring. 

2. Real-time alerts: the system generates real-time alerts when there is a deviation in vibration or temperature, allowing immediate corrective action. 

3. Data collection and analysis: the CMTK tracks and records engine behavior, generating actionable data based on real-world conditions. 

The project includes plans to add four flow sensors to the CMTK system to further enhance monitoring capabilities. 

Key features of the CMTK: 

• High flexibility: connect up to four arbitrary IO-Link sensors, enabling a tailored monitoring setup to meet specific needs. 

• Plug-and-play commissioning: the system is designed for easy installation, allowing users to quickly set up and start visualizing data without complex procedures. 

• Warning messages: the CMTK can be configured to output warning messages when adjustable limit values are exceeded, ensuring timely alerts to potential issues. 

• Self-sufficient system: it operates independently of cloud services and machine control and includes built-in data storage capabilities. 

• Remote monitoring: thanks to network integration, users can monitor system performance and data from any location, ensuring continuous monitoring and remote management. 

Benefits