Minimising downtime with Predictive Maintenance
"We predict material failure up to two weeks in advance by monitoring and analysing gear vibrations."
Challenge
From reactive to predictive maintenance
At Bosch in Tienen, a manufacturer of windscreen wipers, timing belts are a crucial part of the production line. Downtime due to unexpected defects or unnecessary maintenance leads to high costs. Together with Flanders Make, Bosch switched to predictive maintenance to maximise uptime.
Technologies
Sensors and algorithms for condition monitoring
Flanders Make selected sensors and developed algorithms to monitor the vibrations of timing belts. Accelerometers continuously monitor the condition, enabling defects to be detected in good time.
Manufacturing, Mechanical Components and Systems
Optimising mechanical components and systems, their performance, sustainability and manufacturing process.
Result
Two weeks warning time
The approach was validated on multiple production lines and delivered consistent results: the failure of timing belts can now be predicted two weeks in advance. This minimises downtime and prevents unnecessary production stoppages.
- 2
weeks early warning detecting belt failure
