Smart or intelligent products have become common terminology in recent years. Due to the increasing importance of these products development of this technology has gained immense interest. But what does the term smart imply? A simple definition – products that are able to use or collect information about themselves and about the locale in which they run, and furthermore connect and inter-operate with other products or their environment.
Miba as a leading partner to the engine and automotive industries, from providers in the fields of energy generation and transmission, in the oil and gas industry as well as in plant engineering, is constantly striving to strengthen innovation in this sector.
Smart products like the “Intelligent Bearing” are expanding the boundaries of technology and paving way for a digitalized future. Together with external partners, they are working on a solution featuring instrumentation, data transmission with energy harvesting and data analytics to extract information on the condition of the bearings. Thin film sensors are placed on a bearing to collect data like temperature and pressure within a harsh working environment. Being connected with the bearing means getting precise information for predictive and preventive maintenance, leading to increased lifespan and avoidance of downtime and damage. Potential applications for the Intelligent Bearing could be the engines of ships or gensets, in engine development, or to check the bearing design in a test rig.
Additional embedded intelligence is also given to the High-Power Resistor (iUXP). R&D-engineers can monitor the resistor‘s current, voltage, temperature and derived variables, which are transferred wirelessly to a linux-based receiver to process the data and customize the resistor depending on the user´s needs. The iUXP typically can be used for development supporting tools in a systems prototyping stage, laboratory measurements or for condition monitoring during troubleshooting phase.
However, intelligent products are not the only way how connections occur and constitute the drive for technology, digitalization and innovation. Visit their booth at the TEDxTUWIEN and learn more about what drives them and makes their team passionate about technology.