Zentis implements Schaeffler solution
12/10/2023
Global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler has supplied German fruit processing company Zentis GmbH with its ProLink condition monitoring system (CMS) to monitor the condition of trolley bearings on stacker cranes, which operate in cold and frozen storage areas.
The site in Aachen, Germany, uses large stacker cranes for storage, transfer and retrieval. In order to monitor the large and difficult to access moving components in the cold and frozen storage areas and to avoid unplanned downtime, the logistics team at Zentis were looking for a predictive maintenance solution.
Zentis had previously implemented Schaeffler’s SmartCheck condition monitoring devices on gearboxes and cable reels to monitor the health of a critical pallet lifter. The devices have helped to prevent unplanned downtime and optimise production. If the pallet lifter fails, the first production stoppages occur around two hours later. The SmartCheck devices measure the vibration, speed, temperature and imbalance of various rolling bearings in the gearbox, as well as the gear teeth/mesh. The condition monitoring (CM) solution has enabled an early warning period of several weeks, which allows Zentis to carry out repairs and remedial action as part of planned maintenance work, thereby avoiding costly unplanned downtime.
In the cold and frozen storage areas at Aachen, a different type of condition monitoring solution was required. The stacker cranes constantly move around the 30 m-tall racks in different directions. The trolley bearings, in particular the non-driven bearings, are highly stressed. The fact that constant measuring conditions do not exist during regular operation posed an even greater challenge. In addition, temperatures in the frozen storage area are as low as –20°C, which presented yet another challenge for the new measuring system, for example how to attach the sensors to the measuring points.
After approaching one of Schaeffler’s local authorised sales partners, the Schaeffler ProLink condition monitoring system was chosen. This intelligent measuring concept was adapted to suit Zentis’s unique requirements.
To monitor the stacker cranes, a Schaeffler ProLink condition monitoring system and five sensors (bearing guards) were installed on each stacker crane unit. In order to perform meaningful vibration monitoring, the original measurement concept had to be changed in the multi-channel condition monitoring system. Schaeffler achieved this by breaking down the short, slow travel times into many short measurements.
Any extreme impacts could then be determined from these measurements. To solve the temperature challenge in the cold storage area, the ProLink condition monitoring system was installed in the switch cabinet. In the frozen storage area, the ProLink system was placed in heated control cabinets that escort each stacker crane run. The sensors were attached to the measuring points using a special cold-resistant adhesive compound.
The implementation of the ProLink condition monitoring system has benefitted Zentis in several ways. With early warnings of any change in the condition of the stacker crane trolley bearings, the site has also seen an improvement in the planning of maintenance activities, as well as improved safety and transparency.
The ProLink condition monitoring system is also fully integrated into the site’s own control system.
