Piab Ltd - Digitizing vacuum generation enables predictive maintenance of robotic handling systems

Predictive maintenance is usually defined as monitoring performance and condition of equipment during normal operations. This means that simply providing a highly efficient, reliable, and compact pneumatic vacuum pump is no longer enough.

With this in mind, Piab has upgraded its flagship product – the piCOMPACT® vacuum pump series – to support Industry 4.0 functionality. Enabling connectivity between devices through IO-Link, adding sensors to collect valuable process information through integrated intelligence, makes vacuum handling not just smarter but safer at the same time. Enabling predictive maintenance was a key driver for this development because it increases machine operation and lifespan, speeds up the maintenance process and reduces costs.

Connectivity enables communication with other devices, and the cloud, through an IO-Link. Offering fieldbus-independence, IO-Link is a further development of existing, tried-and tested connection technology for sensors and actuators. It offers automated parameter settings and enables operators to read and write parameters for various features even during operation. Such a degree of process overview in real-time means that many potential issues can be dealt with before they have any real impact on the production.

The opportunity for system diagnosis allows problems to be identified and corrected more easily and quickly. This has the potential to lead to greatly improved productivity. One of the key factors behind this diagnostic ability is that, contrary to conventional technology, IO-Link offers a data storage function. This enables operators to quickly establish if and why a device or operation might have failed during an over-night run for instance. It makes it possible to identify the cause of a failure; perhaps a faulty device needs to be replaced, or the culprit might simply be an incorrect electrical connection. Additionally, if a new, identical substitution device is connected, the parameters of the previous device are automatically transferred, saving on precious installation time.

Users can set trigger points so that when the data deviates from normal parameters it is an indication that maintenance will be needed soon. This allows for better maintenance planning, resulting in faster, specific part replacement (if required) which avoids unforeseen production line shutdowns.

Therefore, Piab’s R&D team decided to equip the piCOMPACT®23 SMART directly with several diagnostic sensors that support predictive maintenance, measuring system temperature, system voltage, acceleration, cycle counter and system self-check features. Changes in these can indicate that something else is broken in the robot cell or plant. Hence, piCOMPACT®23 SMART helps to monitor the whole automation system and, in addition, an increased understanding of how the pump itself is operating.

With an eye on the automotive industry, with its high degree of automation and handling of large and heavy parts, safety of operations plays an important role when the machines are running as well as when maintenance takes place. This led to the development of separate power domains for actuators and sensors. Such systems allow activation of the sensor power separately by the operator for maintenance or trouble shooting while leaving actuators disconnected from the power supply so operators are not endangered by moving parts in case of a short circuit etc. The advantage of the separate power domains is that it allows the use of compact style ejectors without separate valve stations. This reduces the cost of installation – as does the fact that the usually expensive workarounds, or add-on modules, are not required.

Making predictive maintenance feasible, the piCOMPACT® 23 SMART ensures high machine up-time of the vacuum system, the associated automation system and monitors a wide a range of environmental conditions that influence the systems performance, all contributing to greater production time and profitability.

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