Conveyors have come a long way since first harnessing intelligent controls to give management real-time information on product flows and despatches but how well has the handling industry harnessed more intelligent predictive techniques to maximise uptime and avoid unplanned disruption and costs? Not so well, argues Knapp UK, partly because it is ever-more essential in a 24/7 warehouse scenario to maintain intra-logistics equipment efficiently to meet more stringent operational demands.

chazThe degree of conveyor care needed will to some extent depend on the different applications which put various patterns of stress on the different conveyors and so planning the maintenance regime is no mean feat, especially when customer demand becomes more strenuous and unpredictable than ever in an online world where speed to market is paramount. The situation, therefore, demands progressive maintenance techniques rather than reactive if optimum availability and maximum operating life are to be achieved.

Fortunately, ever-advancing sensor technology is helping maintenance in this field. Thermal imaging cameras, for example, can detect wear and tear inside a bearing race; microphones can detect the slightest change in motor frequency and acceleration sensors can reveal inconsistencies in the movement of motorized components. The data from each sensor on its own is useful, but far more valuable when combined with multiple-sourced data.

Some of the ‘intelligence’ level is now being removed from the programmable logic controllers (PLC). As chip technology has allowed more functionality to be packed into ever-more miniature devices, leading sensor manufacturers like Sick UK have identified opportunities to integrate advanced automation capability into the sensors themselves. Such smart sensors now perform complex process functions locally, moving them away from the PLC to the sensor itself. This means real-time events can be locally processed without waiting for the raw data to be uploaded to the central PLC program, processed and data extracted before action. Speed restrictions due to heavily-loaded networks are avoided and demands on the central computing function greatly reduced.

Smart sensors can now make real-time decisions which reduce central computing load and network signal delays and errors. Product profile recognition and timing functions can also be combined to give product verification capability to ensure products are of the right shape or in the correct position for picking and sorting tasks, or have the right packaging. “Smart sensors take processing load away from central control systems and deliver huge potential in additional flexibility, reliability and throughput for automated production tasks as well as reducing costs and quality issues,” says David Hannaby, Sick UK’s product manager for presence detection.

Over time, analysis of data enables trends to be revealed and preventive action taken to fix or replace equipment before it breaks, rather than after. This prevents unplanned downtime, which in a busy period could be very costly, and so limit repair bills to modest amounts instead of thousands of pounds.

The collation of warehouse sensor data across multiple sites, and even across companies, can be very valuable. And while the sharing of such data between technicians for problem solving is not new, better means of sharing have recently evolved, thanks to the Internet. Using Knapp’s Web Eye technology, for instance, a technician wearing a head set , incorporating a camera, microphone and headphone, can communicate with a more experienced engineer anywhere in the world, who in turn can see and hear exactly what is happening on the ground and so offer advice.

The message is clear: be smart with your conveyors if you want to keep your customers happy, or else risk losing business.

Comments are closed.