Tracking Component Health in Heavy Vehicles using Miniature Wireless Nodes

Topics Covered

Significance of Monitoring Component Health in Industrial Vehicles
The Solution - MicroStrain^® Integrated Monitoring Systems
MicroStrain^® Vehicle Monitoring Systems
MicroStrain^® CBM Systems
Benefits of MicroStrain^® Vehicle Health Sensing Solutions
About MicroStrain

Significance of Monitoring Component Health in Industrial Vehicles

Component condition monitoring is crucial to reduce machine downtime and lower operating costs. Industrial vehicles are exposed to variable operating conditions, which deteriorate their performance and durability.

The Solution - MicroStrain^® Integrated Monitoring Systems

The health and usage of vehicles and their components can be effectively monitored with the help of MicroStrain^® integrated monitoring systems, which offer a scalable solution (Figure 1). These wireless sensor solutions are suitable for improved condition based maintenance (CBM) of heavy-duty construction machinery.

Figure 1. MicroStrain^® vehicle health sensing solutions monitor, alert and report vehicle condition.

MicroStrain^® miniature wireless nodes for orientation, temperature, corrosion, load, pressure, vibration, and strain are integrated across the vehicle components such as cabins, bodies, brakes, power trains, and engines. They can be integrated and installed easily and rapidly without affecting operation or performance, thanks to wireless designs. Battery replacement is eliminated because of their energy harvesting capabilities.

MicroStrain^® Vehicle Monitoring Systems

Structural strains encountered by off-highway trucks can be tracked with the help of MicroStrain^® vehicle monitoring systems. Automated health alerts are triggered by embedded fatigue tracking algorithms to streamline maintenance activities and fleet management. Besides supporting health indicators, aggregation of wireless data on a base station enables secure communication with SensorCloudTM, a remote data management and analytic platform.

SensorCloud™ provides unlimited fleet data access to service technicians for improved monitoring, extensive reporting and meaningful alerts. This, in turn, allows heavy-vehicle operators to improve the efficiency of scheduled maintenance programs, extend the service life of components, optimize machine availability, and lower operating costs without compromising hauling performance.

MicroStrain^® CBM Systems

MicroStrain^® CBM Systems can integrate intelligent health metrics for optimization of engine power management; observation of brake fluid pressure and temperature; tracking of torque and planetary power train transmission; measurement of vehicle dynamics, orientation, and terrain mapping; verification of cabin comfort in harvesters, dozers, excavators, loaders, trucks; and reporting of loads in suspension.

Benefits of MicroStrain^® Vehicle Health Sensing Solutions

The following are the key benefits of MicroStrain^® vehicle health sensing solutions:

• Optimize machine availability
• Extend the service life of vehicle components
• Lower operating cost
• Improve maintenance schedule
• Provide automated alerts and custom reports

About MicroStrain

MicroStrain, Inc. make tiny sensors that are used in a wide range of applications, including knee implants, civil structures, advanced manufacturing, unmanned military vehicles, and automobile engines. Microstrain offers wireless sensors. MicroStrain develops and produces innovative, smart, wireless, microminiature displacement, orientation, and force sensors.

MicroStrain, Inc. have introduced a broader line of micro-displacement sensors that could withstand extreme temperatures, hundreds of millions of cycles, and complete submersion in saline. The aerospace and automotive industry found our sensors met their requirements, and this company have worked on many groundbreaking projects. The products by MicroStrain, Inc. include Displacement Transducers, Inclinometers, Wireless Sensors, Force Probes, Dataloggers and Signal Conditioners.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by MicroStrain.

For more information on this source, please visit MicroStrain.