Mechanical Technology October 2015

⎪ Power transmission, bearings, bushes and seals ⎪

meters – such as vibration, temperature, lubrication condition and load – and informs the user when conditions are abnormal and can threaten to cause bearing damage. When it was launched at Hannover in 2013, SKF Insight was a technology concept – a way in which maintenance engineers might improve condition moni- toring by keeping tabs on bearing health. Two years on, it is a fully functioning solution running as customer pilots, capable of supplying data directly to diagnostic centres for better condition monitoring via the SKF Cloud using SKF @ptitude. From there, dashboards and reports can be supplied to the plant operator, machine manufacturer, SKF or any other authorised person with Internet access. The data can also be accessed on mobile devices such as iPads – and this is how SKF Insight was demonstrated dur- ing Hannover, in a live working exhibit. Using dynamic bearing data provided by SKF Insight, an innovative new ap- proach to bearing health management is under development, which can determine how actual conditions are affecting bear- ing health and trigger corrective action to cure it – such as the automatic addition of lubricant or altering machine conditions. This prevents damage to the bearing to maximise its useful life. One of the most promising areas of ap- plication for SKF Insight is in wind turbine monitoring, because of the huge cost of maintenance. In some cases, changing the main bearing on a wind turbine is so expensive that it undermines the busi- ness case for building the turbine in the first place. Used here, SKF Insight could monitor loads and lubrication conditions in service, giving plenty of time to limit or reverse the occurrence of damaging process conditions. The company is already working with a wind turbine customer to develop such a system. It measures dynamic bearing information in the true operating state

The TKSA 41 shaft alignment tool S KF has announced the introduction of the TKSA 41 shaft alignment tool with enhanced measuring and reporting

measurements to start at any angle and fin- ish with a total angular sweep of only 90°. The TKSA 41’s live view supports intuitive measurements and facilitates horizontal and vertical alignment corrections. Because the instrument enables hands- free measurement by detecting when the heads are in the correct position, operators can use both hands to rotate and hold the shafts in place. After each alignment, the TKSA 41 automatically generates a custom- ised report with notes and pictures available from its built-in camera. This camera also enables QR codes to be scanned for machine identification and access to the machine library to review past alignment reports or to start a new alignment process. The TKSA 41 replaces its predeces- sor, the widely used TKSA 40. q

capabilities. Developed for use in rotating- machine applications in industry, the instru- ment helps customers identify and correct shaft misalignment to improve equipment uptime and lower maintenance costs. The TKSA 41 has been designed to make shaft alignment easy, even for operators with minimal experience. Comprising two wireless measuring units, large detectors and bright lasers, the TKSA 41 provides precise measure- ments, even in challenging conditions or difficult-to-access areas. Its liquid crystal display (LCD) with touchscreen navigation makes alignment fast and simple, and its free measurement feature allows alignment

SKF’s TKSA 41 shaft alignment tool has enhanced measuring and reporting capabilities.

end bearings, which are critical railway vehicle components that are usually changed at set intervals, regardless of their condition. SKF Insight creates a cost effective way of collecting condition- monitoring data so that bearing life and change-out intervals can be determined based on real operating conditions. SKF Insight and bearing health man- agement are among a series of innova- tions that SKF showcased at this year’s Hannover fair. q

and wirelessly communicates it to remote monitoring centres or local maintenance crews. The solution being developed will monitor bearing speed, vibration, temperature and lubrication condition. Most importantly, it can be retrofitted – so could enhance the operational potential of both new turbines and the many thousands that are already in operation worldwide. The company is developing a similar solution in the railway sector, for wheel-

Mechanical Technology — October 2015

13