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Part of the Appetite for Engineering conference, the annual Food Processing Awards are designed to recognise and reward engineering innovation in the food and beverage sector.
The SCM was developed to provide a simple, easy to implement solution for predictive maintenance, offering the tools that businesses need to bring an end to costly, unscheduled downtime.
The SCM is built around smart sensors, physically attached to the assets in question and transmitting feedback information to an advanced controller which incorporates a Mitsubishi Electric PLC.
The individual sensors provide an in-built traffic light warning indication at the machine, while also transferring the data over Ethernet to the smart sensor controller for in-depth monitoring and more detailed analysis.
The crucial data analysis is performed on-board the PLC, so the system can be relied upon to transmit simple but accurate overviews or warnings to operators in real-time prior to any significant asset failure.
Further, the solution can be used as a self-contained, standalone device or as part of a fully integrated system. It allows information to be transmitted across the factory for easy access via HMIs on the shop floor, to PCs connected to higher-level systems, or to mobile devices over local Wi-Fi, the Internet or mobile networks.
“Unplanned downtime is one of the biggest costs to UK businesses and it’s great to win an award for a solution that helps alleviate the issue. Thanks are due to those who submitted the entry and the judging panel for the recognition,” comments Mitsubishi Electric Marketing & Operations Group Manager Chris Evans.
“Predictive maintenance holds the key to minimising the risks of equipment failure but monitoring practices have traditionally been expensive, problematic and at worst unreliable. The SCM addresses those challenges, providing vastly improved predictive maintenance and optimised asset lifecycle management. With maintenance able to be planned in advance, there is far less unplanned downtime and significant reductions in short notice loss of service.”
