Significantly reduce maintenance costs with igus® predictive maintenance | i.Cee

Prevent unplanned downtime through smart plastics

In automotive production, the conveyor belt never stops. Collaborating robot arms for assembly and welding work are in continuous use, as are all of the components that supply them with energy and data. It is in these environments that intelligent concepts in the style of predictive maintenance make the most sense. Whether a new project for Industry 4.0 or efficiency-driven retrofitting - our universal modular smart plastics solutions are can be individually adapted to any system.

Advantages of smart plastics solutions:

▲ Tech up

Extension of the maximum service life
Increase in overall plant efficiency
Integration into Industry 4.0 / IIoT concepts

▼ Cost down

Reduce maintenance costs through early warnings
Eliminate unplanned downtime
Decrease storage costs

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Different production areas... smartly networked...

Car body construction

The process flows in car body construction are smooth. If a machine part stops, the entire production line breaks down. In order to keep a constant eye on the electrical cables and supply packages of the robots in the rotating movement as well as the linear movement on the 7th axis, igus® has developed its condition monitoring solution i.Sense. It provides information on the current operating status at all times, detects irregularities immediately and prevents unnecessary machine downtime.

Drive train

In the power train production line, there is a high demand for machine reliability. The various stations, some of which have long routes, form a complex system with high dynamics; any damage has an impact on the entire production line. In the ideal case, production runs through without disruptions and shutdowns can be planned sensibly with the help of i.Cee, the predictive maintenance solution from smart plastics.

Final assembly

In the final assembly the final touches are provided in the production chain and the demand for trouble-free processes is no less here than it was at the beginning of production. Manipulators, which often assist people in manufacturing during this step, should be easy to move. Here, e-chains® made of polymer that is lightweight but tough, are ideal. With supporting rollers, even long distances can be covered steadily and reliably.

Types of Smart Plastic Solutions

Condition monitoring (i.Sense)

Condition monitoring is the fastest, simplest way to cform a self-monitoring smart plastics solution. Sensors are mounted to measure values (such as temperature, forces and sound waves/vibrations) within predefined limits. Values outside the limits result in an alert or notification. This data provides the basis for taking subsequent steps, such as maintenance or shutting down the system. Values outside defined limits can directly trigger a system shutdown to prevent costly damages and repairs. At igus®, we use the term "i.Sense" (i feel) to refer to condition monitoring.

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Predictive maintenance (i.Cee)

Predictive maintenance uses sensors, software, and the elements of condition monitoring to create a system that allows dynamic service life calculation and is capable of determining the best times for the maintenance of igus® products. This makes predictive maintenance the next step in achieving a comprehensive concept for a comprehensive Industry 4.0 solution. This predictive maintenance system by igus® is called "i.Cee" (i see ahead) and is available in a wide variety of designs. The goal is always to maximize system and user safety as well as the product service life.

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You determine the route & access of data transfers

i.Cee:local

Your data never leaves your corporate network, since the i.Cee software communicates only within the networks you want it to. The options range from an e-chain® within a single machine to a machine park and your own output interface.

i.Cee:cloud

This online solution has two options. In the first, your data is transferred directly to the cloud, where it is made available in a protected area that can be accessed with a browser dashboard. In the second, the data go to an intermediate location on the i.Cee.net: a data concentrator allowing you to stop or adjust data exchange in the cloud.

i.Cee LIVE Dashboard Demo!

The i.Cee Dashboard visualizes all information and movement data of our smart trade show machine online and in real-time at the igus® virtual-real trade show stand in Cologne.

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i.Sense automotive use cases

Premium car manufacturer

P4.1 rol e-chains with modern breakage monitoring feature

The i.Sense breakage monitoring sensor (EC.B) from smart plastics will alert unforeseen difficulty to this car manufacturer while operating in highly dynamic applications.

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