Monitoring was carried out using vibration sensors, which were connected to the IPC via EtherCAT® and special Beckhoff terminals. With the help of configurable threshold values, a clear traffic light system was activated for each fan to assist service engineers. Detailed views of raw data and calculated variables provided important information for clarifying the cause. A configurable logging module for machine-generated events and custom messages provided further options for root cause resolution and experience documentation.

Beta versions of this predictive maintenance solution were successfully evaluated for selected pilot customers in the pharmaceutical industry.