IFFA 2019

••• 12••• Messewelten Optimised production due to digitalisation Smart sensors & Co: IFFA to showcase latest solutions for smart factory approaches A t this year’s IFFA, a consid- erable amount of space is devoted to the optimisation of production processes. The exam- ples of best practice on show at the trade fair offer trade visitors a host of valuable hints in this re- gard, together with assistance in making relevant decisions. In the “smart factory”, products and individual machines spread throughout the factory must communicate with one another and organise, regulate and moni- tor themselves. One of the basic requirements for this is the ready availability, at all times, of status data on products, machinery and drive mechanisms, bearings and so on. This task is undertaken by so-called “smart sensors”. As well as the actual sensor itself, which captures the magnitude of the relevant parameter, they include integrated micro-proces- sors for processing and analysing the signals. Alongside traditional parameters such as tempera- ture, power usage, torque and pressure, they also record gases and microbial contamination. Traditional maintenance at fixed intervals or at a given number of hours of operation usually takes place too early, for reasons of safety, and thus shortens unnec- essarily the running time of still perfectly serviceable compo- nents such as drives, shafts and bearings. As a result, companies lose both money and valuable resources. Mechanical damage does not just appear from no- where. It makes itself known well in advance with unusual noises, vibrations that suddenly appear, or temperature increas- es, as well as increased power consumption and the like. ConditionMonitoring Software These changes can be picked up with the help of intelligent sen- sors in real time, monitored on- line and assessed, using appropri- ate CMS (Condition Monitoring Software). This makes it possible to target maintenance more spe- cifically and provides valuable information on further possible optimisation of machinery and plant. Optimising production processes is increasingly based on digitalisation and interlinked net- works. Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition / Jochen Günther