Agro-Foods : Project to improve maintenance methods

CLIENT EXPECTATION

Our client called on DV GROUP’s expertise to improve its maintenance strategy. Indeed, a minimum of three days were needed to change a crusher bearing during planned maintenance or unforeseen breakages, leading to significant poduction stoppages. In addition, the two annual campaigns of vibration measurements did not allow unexpected breakdowns to be dealt with (breakage of the bearing cage, breakdown in lubrification etc.).

Our client’s goal was therefore to reduce its maintenance stoppage times and ensure a 24/7 follow-up of the drive by setting up a monitoring solution which could be deployed in the factory on other critical applications.

DV GROUP SOLUTIONS

To reach these objectives, we suggested several solutions to our client:

• An ENGINEERING solution with a mechanical drive
• An online MONITORING solution for monitoring from the time of installation
• An electro-mechanical MAINTENANCE solution for assistance during assembly

TECHNICAL ZOOM-IN: EQUIPMENT IMPLEMENTED 

• Machine monitoring: Phantom solution

Vibration monitoring solution using wireless sensors.

This solution has two parts:

• An electric cabinet located close to the client’s installation allowing data to be acquired and received, as well as a router with a 4G Sim card for internet connection.
• Sensors fixed on various strategic points of the equipment. Sensors permamently measure the machine’s vibrations and send the data to a platform so that they can be used by the client or a DV GROUP expert.

During installation, the DV GROUP vibration analyses set up the alert and alarm thresholds on the vibration levels. When the thresholds are surpassed, an e-mail alert is sent to the client and our technical support.

WORK CARRIED OUT

• Design of the drive in order to define an SKF COOPER bearing housing solution: this tilting bearing and housing package can be separated into two sections and does not require any disassembly of the motor and the rotor shaft for its replacement.
• Supply of spare parts, training and assistance with assembly
• Fitting of online machine monitoring for 6 months to ensure mastery of this change in technology from the time of its implementation
• Associated HOTLINE SUPPORT for reporting the vibration results

CLIENTS GAINS AND BENEFITS

• Three-day maintenance operation reduced to one eight-hour job
• Fourfold reduction of the automatic lubrification
• Bearer housing temperature at 40°C instead of the initial 70°C
• Reaction and analysis time in the case of a instant drift
• Trialed on a validated crusher, the solution will therefore be deployed to other equipment in the client’s processes (extruders, ventilation etc.)