Reduce maintenance costs with predictive maintenance

i.Cee predictive maintenance in automotive industry

In automotive production, the conveyor belt never stops. Collaborating robot arms for assembly and welding work are in continuous use, as are all the components that supply them with energy and data. It is precisely in such environments that intelligent concepts in the style of predictive maintenance make the most sense. Whether a new project for Industry 4.0 or efficiency-driven retrofitting - our smart plastics solutions are available as universal modular systems and can be individually adapted to any system.

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How does predictive maintenance work at igus®?

Smart networking of individual components creates the solid foundation for predictive maintenance concepts. At igus®, predictive maintenance is summarised under the term i.Cee.

The central element of this system is the i.Cee software. Sensors on the energy chain, the plain bearing bush, or a linear carriage, transform products deliverable from stock into smart products.
This upgrade creates the capability of determining your igus® product's maximum service life and the i.Cee system also tells you the perfect time for servicing it.
Algorithms adapt the service life and the service time to the equipment's use. The software we provide, a few sensors and the new communication module i.Cee plus II transform standard products available from stock into smart energy supply or bearing technology quickly and easily.

What are the differences between condition monitoring and predictive maintenance?

Condition monitoring | i.Sense

Such concepts are the easiest and the fastest way to make a self-monitoring product. Sensors are mounted to measure values (such as temperature, forces and sound waves/vibrations) within pre-defined limits. Values outside the limits result in an alert or at least a notification. This information provides the basis for taking subsequent steps, such as maintenance or shutting down the system. At igus, we summarise condition monitoring under the term i.Sense ("I feel").

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Predictive maintenance | i.Cee

In contrast, predictive maintenance solutions use sensors and software to create a system that enables dynamic service life calculation and optimal maintenance times. Predictive maintenance is the next step towards the implementation of a comprehensive smart Industry 4.0 system. The goal is always to maximise system and user safety and product service life. We at igus call our predictive maintenance system i.Cee (derived from "I see ahead").

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Different production areas ...

... smartly connected

Car body construction
Production in car body construction needs to run smoothly and is costly if it stops. To keep a eye on the electrical cables and supply packages of the robots in the rotating movement as well as the linear movement on the 7th axis, igus® has developed its condition monitoring solution i.Sense. It provides information on the current operating status at all times, detects irregularities immediately and prevents unnecessary machine downtime.

Drive train
In the power train production line, there is a high demand for machine reliability. The various stations, some of which have long routes, form a complex system with high dynamics; any damage has an impact on the entire production line. In the ideal case, production runs through without disruptions and shutdowns can be planned sensibly with the help of i.Cee, the predictive maintenance solution from smart plastics.

Final assembly
In the final assembly the final touches are provided in the production chain. However, the demand for trouble-free processes is no less here than it was at the beginning of production. Manipulators, which often assist people in manufacturing during this step, should be easy to move. Here, energy chains made of polymer, lightweight but tough, are just right. With supporting rollers, even long distances can be covered steadily and reliably here.

You determine the manner of data transfer and access

Data transfer within your local corporate network (i.Cee:local) or on a secure cloud (i.Cee:cloud)

i.Cee:local

Your data does not leave your company network at any time, as the i.Cee software only communicates within the networks of your choice. In the process, the information spectrum ranges from a single energy chain within a machine up to a complete machine pool and its own output interface.

i.Cee:cloud

With the internet-based solution, there are two ways: either the sensors transmit their data directly to the cloud, where it is made available in a protected area via a browser dashboard. Or they make a stopover via the i.Cee.net, a so-called data concentrator. The i.Cee.net is at your location, allowing you to adjust data exchange with the cloud at any time.

Various applications using Smart plastics

P4.1 rol e-chains with modern breakage monitoring feature

Premium car manufacturer

Should an unforeseen difficulty arise during actual operation in such a highly dynamic application, this can be detected directly with the unique breakage monitoring i.Sense EC.B from smart plastics.

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Austrian automotive supplier

An Austrian automotive parts supplier uses smart plastics from igus® for its indoor gantry cranes, which automatically handle engine blocks so vital that they had a reliable system.

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Train washing station

Trains that are always clean, and a safe and reliable energy supply thanks to predictive maintenance.

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Linear robots

Due to the integration of smart plastics sensors into the energy supply, the customer's condition monitoring system is supplied with data.

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Frequently asked questions

What are igus® smart plastics? What is Industry 4.0?
Read more of our frequently asked questions about predictive maintenance.