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Automation Technologies 3/2016

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Automation Technologies 3/2016

Using vibrations to

Using vibrations to detect faults MACHINE VISION A common symptom of machines not being at their best is excessive shaking and vibrations. As a consequence, it has to be repaired or replaced causing loss of production time. However, Predictive maintenance done by using vibration analysis can resolve this issue. About Allied Vision Allied Vision delivers camera solutions for industrial inspection, medical and scientific imaging, traffic monitoring and many more applications. Allied Vision is present in Germany, France, the UK, Canada, the USA, Singapore and China with own subsidiaries or sales representatives. The company has appr. 300 employees at their eight locations. D oes this sound familiar? You begin driving your car and feel some level of vibration you never felt before. Instantly, it’s understood something is wrong and may have to be replaced. Vibrations can be quite informative in detecting faults in machinery. Companies value their machinery as it plays an integral role in completing the intended job. It is obvious that the wear and tear will eventually degrade these assets over time and consistent use. A common symptom indicating this is excessive shaking and unusual vibrations. The end result is the repairing or replacement of these assets to ensure the continuation of daily business functions. However, corrective actions done prematurely effectively wastes time and money. Predictive maintenance (PdM) techniques can assist in resolving this issue. PdM is used to help ascertain the condition of operating equipment to determine when maintenance should be conducted. In combination with innovative tech nology, PdM can be a big benefit to organizations. Allied Reliability Group is at the forefront of advancing PdM techniques with their product OptiVibe. Datas are fed into OptiVibe’s custom image processing software which generates Vibragrams. Vibragrams use a color-coded format that highlights the intensity of vibration AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 3/2016

Allied Vision’s Prosilica GigE camera captures the images necessary for analysis Predictive maintenance via vibration analysis Founded in 1997 by John Schultz and John Langhorne, the Allied Reliability Group is an expert in predictive maintenance and condition monitoring for the industrial and manufacturing sectors. By identifying defects in assets, Allied Reliability Group can measure return on capital investment in asset management using their self-developed, innovative method. OptiVibe is a vibration analysis system that uses a digital machine vision camera to measure the displacement and motion of every pixel of the image, creating a visual illustration of vibration and motion. These easy to understand images of vibration are called Vibragrams. Created by Jeff Hay, CEO of RDI, LLC, and John Schultz, OptiVibe uses the Vibragrams to provide a visual representation of the machine or asset being monitored. In turn, users are able to view asset faults and make informed decisions. It is capable of monitoring large or multiple machines, complex and/or large structures, small elements on large or inaccessible structures and much more. The following steps describe how OptiVibe works: n The user takes measurement without contact to obtain a baseline image. n Using image sensors and a digital machine vision camera, the displacement and motion of every pixel in the image is mea - sured. n The data is fed into OptiVibe’s custom image processing software which generates Vibragrams. This image uses a color- coded format that highlights the intensity of vibration. A balanced combination of frame rate, resolution and image quality During a system’s development, technical challenges are a common occurrence. “The technical challenges were based on receiving large quantities of data from the camera and converting that data into useful information for the analyst and the customer. The visualization techniques from the software and the video provided by the camera helped to define what was critical in terms of decision making,” explained Schultz. Allied Vision’s Prosilica GE680 GigE camera was selected to capture the images necessary for analysis. The Prosilica GE680 uses OnSemi’s KAI-0340 CCD sensor which delivers VGA resolution at a frame rate of 205 fps. “The Prosilica GE680 offers a balanced combination of frame rate, resolution and image quality. The speed of this camera was a big factor as we looked at machinery vibrations. It offered greater flexibility in achieving higher frame rates at reduced resolutions while still offering allowable image quality. It also offers a simple single connection input/output option to enable the camera’s unilateral control. This helps simplify the process of two- camera acquisition. We were able to synchronize two cameras to troubleshoot an asset for a client that required synchronized OptiVibe data from two locations on the machine,” continued Schultz. Photographs: Allied Reliability Group www.alliedvision.com AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES 3/2016

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