Machine Condition Monitoring Market

Machine health monitoring is a process of supervising the machinery to identify considerable changes that indicates a fault. The use of machine health monitoring system allows timing for maintenance to be scheduled in a manner that prevents the failure of system and thus avoid its consequences. Machine health monitoring system benefits machinery by identifying the fault before it develops into a major failure. The growing importance of asset management and manufacturer’s drive to optimize productivity and increase efficiency of plant is driving the demand for machine health monitoring equipment market.

Additionally, increasing emphasis on asset utilization and the rising need for elimination of possible machine breakdowns which may lead to redundant maintenance costs has led to an increased adoption of this technology. This technique is generally used on rotating equipments and other machinery such as electric motors, pumps, presses and internal combustion engines. Manufacturing processes, such as breweries and oil refineries, employ monitoring systems, to measure critical parameters. This system makes use of sensors for the purpose of monitoring the machines. SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), is used to analyze information and provide data.

This system is used to monitor current and historical performance of equipments. Machine health monitoring facilitates prediction of machine failure which minimizes production losses, by planning corrective activities beforehand. This technique is primarily aimed towards reducing cot and repair time and is considered to be an efficient strategy in the manufacturing industry. Machine health monitoring involves strategic tools which help in decision making processes.

Various products of machine health monitoring systems are corrosion monitoring equipments, thermograph equipments, lubricating oil examination equipments, ultrasound emission equipments and vibration monitoring equipments. These products make use of various components such as spectrometer, corrosion probes, spectrum analyzer, ultrasonic detector, thermal camera and vibration sensor. The rising need for a system to decrease the risk of unforeseen machine failures and implementation of planned preventative maintenance techniques has increased the demand for machine health monitoring system Obtaining a return on investment from the installment of machine health monitoring system, and irregular maintenance cycles which may require certain modifications in existing machinery to fit the new systems are some of the factors that are constraining the growth of the market. Smart sensors development, vibration sensor machinery and development of Internet of Things (IoT) for machine health monitoring are some the current trends in this industry that are likely to drive the market during the forecast period.

Currently, North America accounts for the largest market share. The growth is mainly driven by the technological advancements in the industrial processing which in-turn have increased the adoption of machine health monitoring systems in this region. However, with growing manufacturing bases of the major market players in automotive, semi-conductor and consumer electronics sectors, Asia-Pacific is expected to be the key contributor for the market growth among all the geographic regions in near future

Reliable level measurement can improve screen-house productivity and reduce downtime.

Reliable level control is essential in the harsh environment of the quarry screen-house, where freshly-mined and crushed stone is sorted by size. However there are many challenges that this vital monitoring equipment will have to withstand, both in terms of the environment of the screen-house and the characteristics of the product being monitored. In this white paper level measurement experts Hycontrol examine the issues surrounding level monitoring in screen-houses and outline the optimum measurement solutions for this challenging environment.

Screen-houses are a standard fixture in the quarry industry. Designs and sizes of screen-houses will vary from site to site, but they all fulfil the same basic function. Usually, belt conveyors are used to drop in processed, crushed stone from the quarry site at the top of the screen-house. The rock is then passed over a series of different-sized vibrating grilles which initially allows the smallest pieces of dust and stone to fall through into a bin below.

As the remaining unsorted rocks descend a ‘staircase’ of slightly angled, vibrating screens, progressively larger pieces of rock up to a size of 60mm are allowed to pass through into the appropriate bins. After screening, the sorted stone can be released from one of the discharge points at the bottom or the side of the bin for use in a wide range of potential applications including aggregate, the production of concrete, roadstone and general construction.

  

The challenges of screen-house level monitoring
Screen-houses are large, difficult, noisy environments full of potential hazards for workers, including high levels of dust, limited visibility and large oscillating plant. As such, appropriate goggles, filter masks and ear defenders must be worn at all times by staff working in the buildings. Clearly this abrasive environment will have a detrimental effect on any equipment that is used, including the vital level measurement instrumentation used to monitor the sorted stone in the bins. Reliable level control is essential not only for inventory purposes when the stone is removed, but more importantly for preventing overfilling of the bins. Product overflow will inevitably lead to equipment damage, plant down-time and a costly clean-up, not to mention the potential for Health & Safety issues. The worst-case scenario is if excess product lifts the screens off their vibrating mountings. Bearing in mind that they can be mounted up to 30 metres above ground level, this is nothing short of a catastrophic event. It will likely cause extensive damage to the screen-house, creating a hazardous working environment and leading to significant down-time whilst the very difficult and potentially dangerous task of repairing the screens is carried out. The cost of such an event is horrendous with lost production and repair charges.

The nature of the screen-house environment also restricts the level measurement options available.

Strain-gauge load-cell and force-based systems, which work by fitting special strain sensors to key parts of the load-bearing structure of a vessel, are highly sensitive devices unable to cope with the constant vibration of the screen-house structure.

Contact-based level measurement technologies such as TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry, sometimes erroneously called ‘radar on a rope’) and out-dated plumb-bob meters are both unsuitable for the screen house environment. Whilst both technologies have many other successful applications in the quarry environment, in the screen-house they are far too likely to be damaged by the falling stone and so would be limited to use on the dust bins only.

Therefore we are left with a choice of two technologies that are suitable for screen-house level measurement, namely ultrasonics and radar.

Ultrasonics
Ultrasonic technology provides a highly cost-effective, easy-to-install, non-contact solution for a wide range of solids level measurement applications. The transducer, mounted at the top of the vessel, emits sound waves that are reflected back from the surface of the material. The instrument measures the time-of-flight of these waves in order to calculate distance, from which is discerned the level of product in the vessel.

Frequencies as low as 5 kHz are used on long range solids materials and higher frequencies at 40 kHz or above are used on shorter ranges. The latest low frequency ultrasonics can be used for ranges of up to 60 metres, although a number of environmental and operational factors within the silo can reduce this range. Traditional ultrasonic devices struggled with the effects of false echoes and temperature changes. However, the latest corrective software can compensate for a number of adverse operational factors relating to weak and false echoes caused by dust, internal silo structures (for example ladders or cross braces) and temperature changes affecting time-of-flight.

It should be noted that when using ultrasonics, consideration has to be given to the so-called dead band, a range directly below the transducer face where measurement is not possible. This area can vary from 300mm to 1500mm depending on the frequency being transmitted. However this usually only presents a problem for applications with shorter measurement ranges, rarely affecting screen-house applications.

Radar
FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) Radar level measurement systems use high frequency microwave signals (24-26 GHz) that are unaffected by dust, pressure, temperature, viscosity, vacuum or foam. The measured level is proportional to the difference in frequency between the transmitted microwaves and those reflected back from the product surface.
This technology is suitable for measurement ranges up to 80 metres and provides high levels of accuracy for certain applications. However the effectiveness of radar technology is dependent on the dielectric constant of the material in the vessel. Radar usually works better on products with a dielectric constant of greater than 2.0 and in the instance of rock in a screen-house this is not generally an issue. Radar equipment is more expensive than ultrasonics which may be a deciding factor for certain applications.

Effects of Filling and Emptying
It is important to understand the way in which vessels are filled and emptied when installing level measurement systems in order to optimise performance. This is especially important given the unusual shape and properties of a screen-house. In a normal silo with a width of less than 3 metres, with centrally-located single fill and draw-off points, the way in which material behaves is usually repeatable. A single level sensor, located away from the fill point, will usually provide reliable and consistent results (See figure 1). Please note that, depending on the size of the vessel and properties of the material, it may be necessary to locate the sensor an equal distance between the centre and outer edge of the vessel.

Complications can occur with vessels that have multiple fill and draw-off points, as in the case of quarry screen-houses (See figure 2 below). Typically bins have three discharge points and this will result in unpredictable product level behaviour. This means that a single sensor located on one side or the other of the vessel will not provide an accurate gauge of the contents – for example product may come to rest largely on one side of the bin, and a sensor located on the opposite side may erroneously show the tank to be empty or near-empty. Using the vessel shown in example 1, this would be the case for a sensor located at point (B). With the ‘staircase’ of screens that runs down the centre of the building it is not possible to centrally-locate a sensor in a screen-house - the falling product would soon erode it away. Whilst covers could be fitted it would be totally impractical to gain access in order to service and conduct maintenance on the sensor.

The most effective solution is to mount two level sensors meters, each an equal distance from each side – in the examples above this would be at points (A) and (B). The readings from each sensor are then used to discern the average product height in the vessel. This is done simply by feeding the information from the two probes to a site PLC or locally-mounted display panel where the readings from (A) and (B) are added together then divided by two, giving an average contents level for the vessel. This also provides the user with separate levels for both sides of the screen, making it easier to decide which point to draw the product from – for instance, in example 2 above the product should be taken from draw-off points (1) and (3) to lower the product height at the sides of the bin.

Maintenance
As we have seen, level equipment in a screen-house is exposed to potentially damaging abrasive material, dust and vibration throughout its working life. Not surprisingly the cleaning and maintenance of level equipment in this unpleasant environment is often neglected.
This is a fundamental error and one that will ultimately accelerate the failure of the equipment. For process-critical equipment, maintenance is essential to ensure ongoing functionality and should be regularly scheduled. This should include not only cleaning and visually checking that the equipment has not become damaged, but also a thorough check of the functionality and calibration of the sensors. This will ensure optimum output levels and eliminate the risk of signal drift. The best solution is for this to be carried out by experienced specialist engineers as part of a regularly scheduled maintenance programme.

Conclusion
The need for reliable level control in screen-houses is clear and well-understood by quarry staff. However achieving that reliability in such a harsh environment continues to be a challenge. It is now accepted that the use of a single sensor will not provide sufficient accuracy, but two sensors will give optimum performance. The chosen instrumentation must provide the precision and reliability required to monitor through a dusty atmosphere, whilst having the robustness and durability to cope with damaging environmental conditions. Ultrasonics and radar both meet these different challenges and, when correctly installed, provide reliable level measuring solutions for the screen house. In parallel, regular maintenance is essential for maintaining and prolonging the working life of this equipment. By ensuring all these factors are considered, better screen house performance and a lower overall cost of ownership can be achieved.

Source: http://www.hub-4.com/news/s2/10040/reliable-level-measurement-can-improve-screen-house-productivity-and-reduce-downtime

More Companies Turning to Sensors For Supply Chain Visibility

Sensors are proving to be one of the most widely adopted emerging technologies impacting supply chains today. The sensors provide data on the location and the condition of a company’s supplies and products as they are transported around the globe. Jim Hayden, vice president of solutions at Savi Technologies, a sensor analytics company, said sensors allow companies to gain end-to-end visibility of their supply chains. It’s a benefit more organizations are taking note of and continuing to drive adoption rates up.
A recent Deloitte and MHI report identified sensors and automatic identification as a top technology creating the “always-on” supply chain. Sensors are used by 44% of supply chain organizations, according to a survey of 900 supply chain industry leaders. The adoption rate falls just behind cloud computing and storage, used by 45% of organizations. A large number of organizations plan to implement sensors into their supply chains in the future, too. Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents said they plan to use the technology in the next six to 10 years.
In 2013, about 20 million sensors were estimated to be in use in supply chains. In 2022, that number is expected to grow to 1 trillion, and by 2030, the Deloitte and MHI report projects 10 trillion sensors to be deployed.

What’s Driving Adoption?
Hayden said companies have historically relied on “milestone” information of their shipments — these are general notifications that inform a company their container departed or arrived at a certain port within the last day or two, for instance. But as supply chain risks grow and companies look to gain competitive advantages, more are realizing they need to do better than capture “milestone” data. Sensors can provide arrival times within hours, instead of a day or two, Hayden said.
Savi provides both sensors and the data analytics solutions that give companies visibility into their supply chains. Hayden said companies come to Savi to tackle risk and supply chain security as well as to improve supply chain performance. On the risk and security side, Hayden said sensor technology can alert a company if their goods have been tampered with during shipment or was the victim of cargo theft, for instance. Some companies, say those in the food or pharmaceutical industries, also want to be alerted to changes in temperature and humidity as those factors can cause damage their products. Sensors are able to alert companies to these changes via text message, email or through an app on mobile devices, Hayden said, giving them time respond and prevent waste. The goal is for companies to know as soon as possible if something has happened or is likely to happen to their shipments, he said.

Barriers to Adoption
While the benefits of sensors and the data they generate may be clear, Hayden said there are still some barriers to broader adoption of the technology. Many see deploying sensors as a part of risk management, which can be tough to demonstrate clear and quick ROI on. Companies still see the technology like insurance, Hayden said. It isn’t until a company experiences a supply chain disruption or negative event that they realize they need to manage their risks.
Cost is another barrier to adoption. The Deloitte and MHI report said companies are concerned with the cost of deploying sensors as well as the costs associated with the maintenance of networks and storage space required to collect and communicate the data the sensors generate. Additional investment in analytical tools to make sense of the sensor data, too, is needed.
However, the cost of sensors has already fallen over the years. The price of an accelerometer, which can sense acceleration, shock and vibration, has declined 80% since 2006, according to the Deloitte and MHI report.
“The price of moving data across networks and of securing storage space has also plummeted and there is little reason to think the costs of technology will not continue to decline,” the report said.

Early Adopters
Hayden said Savi Technologies’ customers are generally viewed as the “early adopters” of sensor technology and data analytics. However, these “innovators” are realizing they need this technology in their supply chains to keep a maintain a leg up on the competition.
“Even if there is not a real empirical return on investment, they know in their gut it’s the right thing to do,” he said.

Source: https://spendmatters.com/2016/04/13/more-companies-turning-to-supply-chain-sensors-for-end-to-end-visibility/

Vibration sensor market projected to hold automotive industry as the fastest growing segment till 2020 according to market forecasts

According to the report “Vibration Sensor Market Analysis: By Technology (Capacitance, Piezo-resistive, Strain Gauge) By Material (Ceramics, Quartz, Silicon) By Industry (Automotive, Nuclear, Consumer Electronics, Machine & Structural Monitoring, Mining) Forecast - (2015 - 2020)”, published by IndustryARC, the Vibration Sensor Market in automotive industry to reach $881.3 million by 2020

The Vibration Sensor Market has witnessed significant deployment rate in the past few years majorly in automotive and aerospace industry. The vibration sensors in automobiles perform real time monitoring of the automobile mechanical systems in order to prevent breakdown and intimate the drivers beforehand.

The vibration sensor market in automotive industry is projected to attain market worth of $881.3m by 2020 as per the IndustryARC analysis. The recent advancements in the automobile systems such as driver assistance systems, commercial telematics solutions have embraced the sensor technology at an extensive level and have perforated high ends market of the automotive industry. OEMs are constantly making efforts to make these technologies accessible to a larger customer base rather than serving the niche segment.

The awareness among the end users has remarkably increased and is acknowledging the offered technology. Europe and North America are the dominant regions in the vibration sensors market owing to the presence of leading end user industries in nations such as The U.S.A, Canada, Germany, and the U.K.

Maintenance and Safety of the equipment has always been the prime objective of the manufacturing industry. A number of solutions has been developed integrating electronics into the mechanical components to improve the operational efficiency and minimize the complexity of the process.

Vibration sensors help to analyze the frequency and intensity of vibrations in order to take decisions regarding performance, production and quality of the object in various industries. These sensors are extensively used to determine the specific cause and location of machinery problems.

Vibration sensors are capable of measuring and analyzing displacement, linear velocity, and acceleration. These sensors primarily facilitate measurements of vibration displacement, velocity and acceleration.

With the development of computer technology, electronic technology and manufacturing process, a variety of vibration sensors have drawn attention and importance in various industry verticals. With the shift towards intelligent or automatic monitoring of machinery in manufacturing plants, vibration sensors market is estimated to benefit hugely and grow significantly in coming years.

Apart from automotive, vibration sensor has revealed promising applications for equipment maintenance in non-destructive testing, nuclear, oil & gas industry. Nuclear power plants majorly depend upon vibration monitoring systems for ensuring continuous power generation and safety of personnel and equipment.

Nuclear reactor outage costs are very high and thus unexpected downtime may lead to enormous losses to the company. Thus approximately 90% of the operation cost is utilized for the monitoring of machinery health using equipment such as vibration sensors.

In Oil & Gas industry, the vibration sensor market is speculated to register double digit CAGR by 2020. Vibration monitoring systems are highly effective in determining machinery health, planning maintenance intervals, reducing downtime and avoiding catastrophic loss.

Sensors offering hazardous area approvals are widely used on gas and oil well heads, supply lines, natural gas power engines, multi-stage gas compressors and other machinery operating in hazardous environments.

Source: http://industryarc.com/Report/165/Vibration-Sensors-Market-Forecast.html 

PIEZOELECTRIC SMART MATERIALS GLOBAL MARKET2016-2020

A new report has been added by wiseguyreports in its research database. This market research study segments the global piezoelectric smart materials market by type (ceramics, polymers, and composites), by application (motors, transducers, sensors, and building materials), and by end-users (transportation, healthcare, leisure and sports, construction and infrastructure, and agriculture and food). This report also segments the industry by geography (the Americas, APAC, and EMEA). The key vendors identified in the market are AAC Technologies, Advanced Cerametrics, Arkema, KYOCERA, and Solvay.

Outlook of the piezoelectric smart materials market

Smart materials are special building materials whose properties change when subjected to external stimuli such as stress, temperature, moisture, pH, or magnetic field.  Piezoelectric materials are a class of smart materials that produce a voltage when mechanical stress is applied. These materials are widely used in sensors and help in measuring fluid density, the force of impact, and fluid composition. Technavio’s market research analysts have estimated the global piezoelectric smart materials market to grow at an impressive CAGR of close to 13% over the forecast period. The increasing demand for piezoelectric smart materials from the military and aerospace sector is expected to drive the market for piezoelectric smart materials globally. These materials help in controlling the airflow across the wings of an aircraft and maintaining it during take-off and landing. Furthermore, these materials are also used to solve common problems with the aircraft, such as engine vibration, high cabin noise levels, ice formation on wings, flow separation due to turbulence, and control surfaces in cold climatic conditions. Also, piezoelectric materials find extensive applications in military and defense sector like smart sensors, smart nanorobotics, smart combat suits, and smart skins. Therefore, the numerous applications of piezoelectric smart materials in military and aerospace industry will spur the growth of this market until the end of 2020.

In this market research study, analysts have estimated factors like the increasing applications of piezoelectric materials in nanotechnology to impel the prospects for market growth until the end of the forecast period. For example, piezoelectric smart materials are used in the manufacture of smart nanofibers that are used in light-emitting transistors and advanced organic solar cells. The recent advancements in the nanotechnology sector will, in turn, bolster this market’s growth potential during the forecast period.

Segmentation by application and analysis of the piezoelectric smart materials market

• Motors
• Transducers
• Sensors
• Building materials

During 2015, the automobile motors industry dominated the piezoelectric smart materials market with a market share of more than 60%. Factors such as rapid growth in the automobile industry will translate into the demand for piezoelectric materials during the forecast period.

Geographical segmentation of the piezoelectric smart materials market

• Americas
• APAC
• EMEA

In this market study report, the analysts have estimated the Americas to be the largest market for piezoelectric smart materials during the forecast period. The increasing demand for MEMS sensors, used in airbags and anti-lock braking systems, will translate into the demand for piezoelectric smart materials in the Americas. The market for piezoelectric smart materials will account for a market share of more than 47% until the end of 2020.

Complete report in detailed: https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/global-piezoelectric-smart-materials-market2016-2020

Wind farm failure prediction via Piezo Sensor

Engineers have developed a piezoelectric sensor that lets wind farm operators know when bearings are about to fail, a development that could prevent costly downtime.

The sensor, developed by Wenqu Chen, a mechanical engineering research student at Sheffield University, uses ultrasonic waves to measure the load transmitted through a bearing in a wind turbine.
A limiting factor with wind turbines is gearbox reliability, particularly in relation to bearings where manufacturers and operators have faced issues with reliability. Failures come from the fact that these are big bearings subject to quite unusual loading.They’re subject to high dynamic loading and they’re failing in ways that aren’t usually seen on more conventional bearings seen in trucks and cars and process machinery. The 2mm2 sensor has been validated in the lab and is currently being tested at the Barnesmore wind farm in Donegal, Ireland by Ricardo.

Prof Dwyer-Joyce, director of the Leonardo Centre for Tribology at the University said the patented sensor has been installed in the raceway of a transmission bearing, adding that the raceway compresses slightly as the ball and roller pass over it. "We pick up that compression and that compression depends on the load applied to the ball in the first place,” he said. “It’s that stress…which is going to control the life of the bearing."

The time of flight of the ultrasonic pulse from the sensor is affected by the stress level in the material, making the new method the first to directly measure the transmitted load through the rolling bearing components.

Current sector-related condition monitoring methods come in the form of acoustic emission signal, vibration sensing, or oil debris analysis that alert operators to damage after it has occurred, which puts the new sensor – and its size – at an advantage.

For full article click here: https://www.theengineer.co.uk/piezo-sensor-predicts-wind-farm-failure/ 

Sensors now helping elderly too in prompting next task

A new device has been developed at Washington State University which is designed to

work with smart home systems that would provide memory cues to help residents get back
on track when they are unsure of what to do next.

Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe, professor of psychology, is part of WSU’s Center for
Advanced Studies in Adaptive Systems (CASAS). Her team of graduate students is working
with colleagues in electrical engineering and computer science to develop technology
to help people remember to do tasks like taking their medicine, preparing meals and
performing physical therapy exercises.

Schmitter-Edgecombe and Diane Cook, professor of electrical engineering and computer
science, have been testing and refining the WSU smart home for the last seven years.
It uses sensors on the walls, doors and various household objects to help monitor,
predict and ultimately improve quality of life, especially in care of the elderly.

The system predicts when cognitively impaired people are between activities and
may need a prompt to perform a new task. It comes in a box and can be installed in
an apartment or home relatively easily. It consists of roughly 30 infrared, motion
and vibration sensors that look at patterns of behaviors – such as whether a certain
activity has happened before, when it took place and how long it lasted – and then
deduce what’s going on.
Over time, the system uses this information to determine when the home’s inhabitant
has completed a specified task and might need a prompt to perform a new one.

To test their system, the research team collected data from two experiments. One was
conducted at the smart home on the WSU Pullman campus. The other took place at a
retirement community in Seattle where smart homes have been installed in eight
apartments.
For the second experiment, each of the apartments housed a single older adult who was
asked to go about daily routines while the wireless sensors collected data. Every day,
the researchers analyzed three hours of data starting when the participants first
awoke. The system was able to accurately predict periods of transition between
activities 80 percent of the time.

“The smart home is able to recognize the short period of time after visitors leave
and before the resident starts a new activity,” said Kayela Robertson, a psychology
postdoctoral candidate working on the project. “We are starting to develop a tablet-
or smart phone-based application that integrates with the smart home to provide a
prompt to perform a new task during this transition.”
For example, the smart home used data from sensors on the front door and in the living
room to determine when visitors arrived, how long they stayed and when they left.

The goal is to develop an easy-to-use and portable tool that would provide reminders
to perform a number of important activities.
The technology could also provide smart home occupants with a list of activities
they’ve done throughout the course of the day and give healthcare providers and loved
ones a better idea of how their aging patients, parents or other family members are
doing, whether they live nearby or in another state.

Read the full article: https://news.wsu.edu/2015/12/15/device-prompts-elderly-to-remember-next-task/

Detecting and measuring with VibraSens

As a company we saw many opportunities coming across from different regions of the world such as UK/Europe, US/Canada, and Asia. We today as a company involved in manufacturing of vibration sensors, BNC & switches, Cables, Assemblies and other condition monitoring instrumentation looking for potential distributors or authorize channel partners to handle the day-to-day service needs of our customers  

VibraSens is serving the automation industry for more than 10 years and each of our monitoring products hold its own successful sales records. Not only do we offer superior vibration instrumentation, but we also offer the kind of solid expertise and support that should be expected from a manufacturer.

We welcome new representatives to our family and are always looking for the qualified partners expertise in vibration monitoring and calibration services in countries where VibraSens products/distributors/service providers are not available yet. For more details mail us at sales@vibrasens.com 

Techno-advanced lifestyle of smart city: Chicago

Chicago's IQ will be measured by Sensors now...!

The University of Chicago (UChicago) announced that the National Science Foundation has awarded a $3.1 million grant to support the development of Array of Things, an urban sensing instrument that will serve as a fitness tracker for the city. Starting next year, 500 Array of Things (AoT) nodes will measure data on Chicago’s environment, infrastructure and activity to scientifically investigate solutions to urban challenges ranging from air quality to urban flooding. The ultimate goal of this innovative community technology platform is to help make cities cleaner, healthier and more livable.

The grant will support a multidisciplinary team of designers, engineers and scientists at the Computation Institute (a joint initiative of UChicago and Argonne National Laboratory), the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Northern Illinois University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.The Array of Things (AoT) is an urban sensing project, a network of interactive, modular sensor boxes that will be installed around Chicago to collect real-time data on the city’s environment, infrastructure, and activity for research and public use. AoT will essentially serve as a “fitness tracker” for the city, measuring factors that impact livability in Chicago such as climate, air quality and noise.

The nodes will initially measure temperature, barometric pressure, light, vibration, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, ambient sound intensity, pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and surface temperature. Continued research and development will help create sensors to monitor other urban factors of interest such as flooding and standing water, precipitation, wind, and pollutants.

Array of Things is interested in monitoring the city’s environment and activity, not individuals. In fact, the technology and policy have been designed to specifically avoid any potential collection of data about individuals, so privacy protection is built into the design of the sensors and into the operating policies. Array of Things will not collect any personal or private information.

The nodes utilize an Argonne-developed technology platform called Waggle, created by Argonne’s Peter Beckman, Rajesh Sankaran and Catlett, that allows for powerful and secure remote processing of measurements before transmission of data to a central server.

Because all of the data will be published openly and without charge, it will also support the development of innovative applications, such as a mobile application that allows a resident to track their exposure to certain air contaminants, or to navigate through the city based on avoiding urban heat islands, poor air quality, or excessive noise and congestion.

In partnership with the City of Chicago, the nodes will be mounted on streetlight traffic signal poles around the city by 2017. Fifty nodes will be installed in early 2016, and the number is expected grow to 200 by the end of 2016 and 500 by the end of 2017. The location of these nodes will be determined in collaboration with the City of Chicago and input from researchers and community members.

Eleven nodes are currently undergoing testing on the University of Chicago campus. Additional funding for the project was provided by the University of Chicago Innovation Fund, Argonne, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

What Is The Array of Things? 

US Air Force to use vibration sensors to detect vehicles in anti-access and denied areas.

Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced an

upcoming program this week for Vibrometry Interrogation for Battlefield Exploitation
(VIBE). The objective of VIBE is to develop combat identification (CID) automatic
target recognition (ATR) for vibrometry sensor data for use within anti-access/area
denial (A2/AD) environments.

Vibrometry sensors utilize the principal of micro-Doppler measurements between the
sensor and target caused by surface deflections. These deflections are due to vibrations mainly caused by mechanical systems (motors) or transformer hum (magnetostriction) during operation of military and civilian vehicles and equipment. These measurements enhance air-to-ground (A/G) and air-to-air (A/A) remote identification of targets. The
addition of vibration measurement to the sensor suite provides an additional non-imagery based identification modality at ranges where traditional electro-optical imaging is resolution limited. The vibrometry modality also provides unique capabilities in settings where a vibration signature is available such as facility interrogation, power plant assessment, obscured targets, and Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).

One of the VIBE program's key challenges will be to extracting features from vibrometry
signatures that remain consistent, and filter out irrelevant noise. For this project
Air Force researchers are not interested in any proprietary hardware, software, or
data solutions. Instead, the program will focus on basic algorithm development.
Program funding will be about $15 million from 2016 to 2022, researchers say.

For more information please follow the link: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=2cd88d2c41b98042ff665877a11dfc96&tab=core&_cview=0

Vibration technology based security system has been proposed by NIT-K to secure unmanned level crossings.

Recently, an MoU has been signed between Palakkad division - Southern Railway and ECE department, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal on a system to provide advance warning at unmanned level crossings.

NIT department focused on vibration technology  and detailed the approach stating that motion of train generating vibration will be used in this system development where a sensitive vibration sensor/acoustic sensor will be installed on the track or sleeper near the level crossing which be constantly monitored for its output.  Further, the output of the vibration sensor will be monitored by the micro-controller device which will process the readings and infer the presence of the train, its type and velocity. 

This simple system that can detect the presence of the train after sensing the unambiguous presence of the train and can provide an audio-visual warning so that people, vehicles, people and livestock can move away from the location of the level crossing. The system will reset itself for next train detection.  

Read the full article: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/NIT-K-Surathkal-students-to-secure-unmanned-level-crossings/articleshow/49438115.cms 

TO-5 Transistor style piezoelectric accelerometer

TO-5 solid state piezoelectric accelerometers offer low cost solution for vibration and shock measurements in high-volume and commercial OEM applications.
The compact designs may be embedded into machinery at the OEM level to provide value-added monitoring protection. The units employ field-proven, solid-state, annular shear piezoelectric sensing elements.
They are available with charge, voltage or ®ICP / ®IEPE output.
They offer better resolution and broader frequency range compare to MEMS or capacitive accelerometers.
They are therefore mainly used for predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, bearing and gear mesh vibration measurements, ...
The piezoelectric accelerometer model 160 uses a solid-state piezoelectric element in the annular shear mode. It is available with 2-wire.

ICP - IEPE - LIVM Voltage output for easy compatibility with existing piezoelectric accelerometer. 3-wire Voltage output is also available for simplified operation and connectivity to low power data acquisition unit.

Typical applications
The piezoelectric accelerometer model 160 is design for vibration and shock measurements in high-volume and OEM applications. It is well suited for vibration monitoring and machinery protection.

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Industrial Triaxial Vibration Sensors

Industrial, triaxial vibration sensors use piezoceramic in the annular shear mode, have dual case isolation with an internal Faraday shield, use ®ICP / ®IEPE transmission mode.

Compared to obsolete compression design, annular shear piezoelectric sensors feature better frequency response, improved base strain, lower noise, smaller size, thermal transient immunity and insensitivity to cable motion. Annular shear mode is also less susceptible to transverse vibrations and better immune to electronic saturation at high frequency.

Why industrial triaxial vibration sensors are bigger than laboratory ones?

Triaxial industrial sensors require dual case isolation provided by an internal Faraday shield. Laboratory triaxial sensors are only isolated (if at all) by an external isolation pad on the mounting surface or by an anodised aluminum housing. They are therefore prone to ground loop and 50 Hz or 60 Hz pickup. In harsh environments, industrial vibration sensors don’t allow for such solutions.

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What is Termination box and BNC Termination box?

Termination boxes and switch Boxes assist with data collection by terminating cables of permanently installed sensors at convenient, safe collection points.

BNC termination boxes are not switched, but provide a separate BNC connection for each channel.
Switch boxes have a single BNC connector for data collection and 11 channel rotary dial for channel selection.

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Vibration Sensors Market (2014-2020); By Application (Automotive, Electronics and Electrical, Industrial); By Type (Geophone, Shock Sensors); By Technology (Ceramic Piezoelectric, Proximity Probe) and By Geography

A new report has been added by research and markets which has been briefed as follows: 

Vibrations are created when a particle or a vibrating part moves from one extreme point to other which is separated by few microns. Also, the speed of this movement is fast as mm/s. Vibrations are generated in case of any faults, when some internal or external excitation is experienced. Sensing them at earlier stage can prevent danger and thus is essential.

This report segments the vibration sensors according to its type and technology used. The market forces for vibration sensors market are explained in detail. Also, region wise market estimations are illustrated for the forecast period from 2015 to 2020. The electrical and electronics, medical, industrial sector make major use of the vibrational sensors. They have their applications in wide areas as measuring vibrations in wind generators, monitor machinery sensitive to vibrations or shocks, reduce wear in industrial plants, record input shocks and vibrations given to humans for treatment, monitoring of breathing, walking and lying behavior of animals and many more.

Omron, Vibrasens, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., GE Measurement & Control are some companies that participate with other key players.

For more details please visit: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/w9hrn5/vibration_sensors

Sensor Selection Checklist

Vibration sensors are the initial source of machinery information upon which productivity, product quality and personnel safety decisions are based. When selecting a piezoelectric industrial vibration sensor (acceleration, velocity, or displacement) for a specific predictive maintenance application, many factors should be considered so that the best sensor is chosen for the application. The user who can answer application specific questions will be able to find the best vibration monitoring solution.

What to measure: acceleration, velocity or displacement?
Very obvious question but many points to keep in mind.Which signal variety is required for your application? Some industrial sensors can output temperature along with vibration.

Do you need a top exit, side exit or a low profile connection?
Sensor geometry has little effect on its performance, but consider factors such as space available and where a maintenance engineer can operate safely.

What type of mounting is needed?
There are a number of ways to mount an accelerometer to the unit under test (UUT), and methods include everything from permanent mounting to temporary methods. Here are a few of the most common mounting methods.

  

 


The best mounting method uses a threaded stud or screw. Stud/screw mounting provides the best transmissibility at high frequencies since the accelerometer is virtually fused to the mounting surface. High-frequency response can be enhanced by the application of light oil between the accelerometer and the UUT. If this method of mounting is desired, accelerometers should be purchased that are designed for stud and/or screw mounting.

Adhesive mounting is often required, especially on small surfaces and PC boards. The preferred mounting adhesive is a cyanoacrylate because it can be easily removed (with the proper removal techniques). Many accelerometers are specifically designed for adhesive mounting and this fact will be noted on the data sheet. A stud-mount accelerometer may be mounted using an adhesive, but a cementing stud should be used to prevent the adhesive from damaging the accelerometer’s threads.

Does your application require uniaxial, biaxial or triaxial measurement?
Some applications monitored in more than one vibration axis. Depending upon the requirement one can choose vibration sensors for multi-directional machine monitoring and balancing. Theses sensors are also easier to mount than two/three individual sensors.

What is the vibration amplitude?
The maximum amplitude or range of the vibration being measured determines the sensor range that can be used. Typical accelerometers sensitivities are 100 mV/g for a standard application (50 g range) and 500 mV/g for a low-frequency or low-amplitude application (10 g range). General industrial applications with 4-20 mA transmitters commonly use a range of 0-1 in/s or 0-2 in/s.

What is the frequency range?
Physical structures and dynamic systems respond differently to varying excitation frequencies. A vibration sensor is exactly same. A sensor that acts as a dynamic system with one degree of freedom exhibits natural frequencies. It’s critical to select a sensor with a usable frequency range that includes every frequency you’re interested in measuring.

What is the temperature range required?
Applications with extremely high temperatures can pose a threat to the electronics built into accelerometers and 4-20 mA transmitters. Charge-mode accelerometers are available for use in very high temperature applications. The sensitivity variation versus temperature must be acceptable to the measurement requirement. Therefore, sensors with integral hard-line cable are available for applications hotter than 500° F.

Are any corrosive chemicals present?
Sensors and cables should be resistant to chemicals present, if any.

Is the atmosphere combustible?
Vibration sensors certified as being Intrinsically Safe should be used in areas subjected to hazardous concentrations of flammable gas, vapor, mist, or combustible dust in suspension.

Are intense acoustic or electromagnetic fields present?

Is there significant electrostatic discharge (ESD) present in the area?
ESD can be destructive and may leave a sytem in an unknown state from which recovery is impossible.

Is the machinery grounded?
To avoid spurious 50Hz pick-up from surrounding equipment it is advisable for the cases of the sensors.

Will it be submersed in liquid?
Industrial accelerometers with integral polyurethane cable are completely submersible in liquid for permanent installation.

Are there sensor size and weight constraints?
Sensosr size should be decided as per space available. As a rule-of-thumb, the weight of the accelerometer should be no greater than 10% of the weight of the test article.

Other questions must be answered about the connector, cable, and associated electronics:

• What cable lengths are required?
• Is armored cable required?
• To what temperatures will the cable be exposed?
• Does the sensor require a splash-proof connector?
• What other instrumentation will be used?
• What are the power supply requirements?

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VibraSens went Online....!

Are you still enjoying old traditional way of shopping, long billing ques and all?

Nobody gonna say "YES" in today's world. After, understanding the fact VibraSens too moved online. Now you can select and order all their sensors directly from their webshops. To add to it, you have freedom to select local webshop or preferred currency from US, Europe and Asia or USD, EUR, or CNY, respectively.

Hurry! enjoy e-shopping and keep clicking. 

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IEPE Standards and Compatibility

IEPE standard for electronic accelerometers ensures compatibility with equipment of other manufacturers. The abbreviation IEPE means “Integrated Electronics Piezo Electric”. Integrated electronic piezoelectric (IEPE) accelerometers are a class of piezoelectric accelerometers that usually incorporate an electronic amplifier and use a single two-pole coaxial connector  for both power input and signal output. The devices are also known by proprietary names such as integrated circuit piezoelectric sensor (ICP®) , CCLD, Isotron®, Deltatron®, Piezotron®  etc.

Compared with earlier sensor interface systems requiring a charge-sensitive preamplifier external to the sensor, the use of a single coaxial connector with integrated electronics gives IEPE devices their main advantages: small size, light weight, robustness and low cabling costs. Microphones and other vibration sensors are also made using an IEPE-compatible interface.

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