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picking, weeding and sowing, whilst
inside agricultural machinery, the
iglidur Q2i intelligent bearing is used
to provide wear rate feedback, which
prevents machine downtime.
What products / technologies do you see
changing your sector in the future?
PB: We are practising what we preach
when it comes to digitalisation at our
Gothenburg factory. As a result, we
are the only industry manufacturer to
assemble our spherical roller bearings
using a process that is entirely machineoperated,
automated and without
human hands. This level of digitally
interconnected high-level production,
increases efficiency and production
flexibility, and also completely changes
the equation in terms of labour
costs. As a result, we don’t need to
send our production to a low-cost
country to be competitive. World-class
manufacturing, in this context, is simply
a necessity for us, as SKF strives to keep
a top position in the bearings market.
important planning tasks Sally Sillis
31 July 2020 / www.theengineer.co.uk
Also, thanks to condition
monitoring and digitalisation, we are
beginning to see traditional business
models being replaced by performance
and functional-based contracts. We have
already begun setting up performancebased
contracts with key customers
that operate using a fixed monthly fee,
with a bonus performance payment,
added at longer intervals, if their KPIs
have improved. This way of working
has many advantages for both sides and
we expect it to continue to increase in
popularity, as more companies seek
to exploite digitalisation to create
different ways of financing operational
performance.
SS: Digitalisation will continue to be
a focus across all industrial sectors.
Schaeffler’s components such as
bearings and linear guidance systems
are used in critical areas of machines,
which produce critical information
about conditions and movements.
Schaeffler continues to invest heavily
in research and development and has
incorporated sensors, actuators and
control units with embedded software
into these products. With this, it is now
possible for these parts to collect and
process valuable real-time data on the
condition of a machine and then convert
this data into added-value services.
Combined with Schaeffler’s system
and modelling expertise, this real-time
data forms the basis of a digital image
of the machine that makes further
analyses and digital services possible.
These smart components become
fundamental ‘enablers’ for Industry 4.0.
MA: The relationship where automated
machines work alongside humans,
enhancing and making factories a safer
and more productive place has to be one
of the most prominent and significant
changes, and igus is seeing an increased
demand for cable management in these
robots. Also, remote technology is now
a requirement rather than a luxury, for
example, the igus D1 controller, which
can be programmed from any device
anywhere in the world.
through the massive amounts of data
and chooses the optimal algorithms
for analysing specific data streams.
Our SKF Enlight AI system is an
industrial analytics solution based
on AutoML that has the potential
to significantly improve machine
failure identification. Thanks to our
extensive and ever-growing library of
algorithms, we are able to ensure the
constant improvement of the AutoML
performance, aiding O&M repair staff in
establishing the root cause of machine
failure more quickly and accelerating
the remediation process.
SS: ConditionAnalyzer is a digital
service from Schaeffler for the
monitoring of bearings in electric
motors, pumps, fans, compressors and
other rotating equipment. The service
enables automatic analysis and simple,
understandable communication of
potential damage and severity across
a complete plant. The output from
ConditionAnalyzer can help avoid
unplanned downtimes and maximise
availability of assets. Personnel have the
facts and can take the necessary action
in line with production requirements
and can plan for downtime if necessary.
With ConditionAnalyzer, Schaeffler
combines the expertise of its engineers
in the design and manufacture of
bearings with its many years of
experience in interpreting vibration
data and maintaining its own plants in
one practical unique tool. Using this
expertise, the ConditionAnalyzer uses
vibration data from sensors that is
automatically analysed and processed to
reliably identify the bearing’s condition.
The digital service does not provide the
user with complex data, but rather a
simple recommendation for action.
MA: It is difficult to pick out one key
product in the igus range. The use
of automated systems and the rise of
intelligent products (smart plastics), are
very interesting trends. For example,
in the agricultural industry, igus linear
gantries are used in automated planting,
the use of automated systems and
the rise of intelligent products are
interesting trends Matthew Aldridge
Schaeffler’s
cloud-based
condition
monitoring tools
help simplify
maintenance
tasks
IGUS produces
a wide range of
plastic bearings
for a variety of
different sectors
implementing smart devices can help free
up maintenance staff to concentrate on more
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