Smart monitoring and maintenance technology at MachineBuilding.Live

Predictive maintenance is a proactive approach that uses real-time data and machine learning to predict potential equipment failures, allowing for preventative maintenance and minimising downtime. It goes beyond traditional maintenance by utilising data from sensors, IoT devices, and other sources to anticipate issues before they occur. This approach helps optimise maintenance schedules, reduce costs, improve reliability and enhance overall operational efficiency.

In today's industrial landscape, staying ahead of potential failures is key to maintaining productivity. Now more than ever, downtime is costly. To combat this, igus developed i.Cee, a smart plastics system that turns passive components into intelligent assets. By analysing data from sensors embedded in energy chains, bearings, and cables, i.Cee enables dynamic service life prediction, real-time alerts, and automated maintenance scheduling.

Whether you are running high-speed packaging lines or precision robotics, i.Cee helps you stay ahead of unpredicted failures.

Another interesting solution is ADS Uptime comes in - Leine Linde's advanced condition monitoring system. It continuously monitors both encoder performance and environmental conditions, delivering real-time insights that support predictive maintenance.

With flexible access via Bluetooth or ADS Link, you can check encoder health on the go using the ADS Uptime app, or integrate data into your existing maintenance systems. The result? Fewer surprises, smarter service planning, and maximised uptime. The ADS Uptime is a function available on Leine Linde's incremental encoders within the 800-series primarily used in motion control applications.

Look, too, at SensoPart's FT 25-RLAP time-of-flight sensor, combining precise distance measurement up to 1.5 metres with a compact, space-saving design. Alongside its analogue and switching outputs, the FT 25-RLAP features an IO-Link interface compliant with the latest 1.1.4 specification. This ensures seamless integration into today's automation environments and unlocks advanced configuration, diagnostics, and monitoring capabilities - supporting smarter process control and predictive maintenance.

You'll find many other interesting smart maintenance solutions, too, at MachineBuilding.Live. SICK's Telematic Data Collectors (TDCs) enable you to collect, process and transmit valuable data for quality control, process optimisation and predictive maintenance. SICK's TDC-X next-generation wireless edge solution for telematic data collection is a robust solution suitable for the most demanding end-to-end IoT applications in harsh environments, including factory, logistics and process automation. The IP67-rated device provides powerful edge computing and multi-sensor data acquisition, acting as a wireless gateway with IoT functionality and support for SICK Digital Cloud Services.

Then there is ifm's AL159x Multi-Protocol IO-Link master. Equipped with an integrated OPC UA server, the device enables standardised, transparent data exchange across systems, creating a foundation for predictive maintenance and data-driven decision-making. Additionally, the built-in IODD interpreter translates sensor data into readable values, simplifying software-based evaluation and minimising setup times.

Another product of note is Lenze's i650 motec - the company's latest addition to its decentralised frequency inverter portfolio. Digitalisation is seamlessly embedded into the i650 motec's DNA. The integrated IO-Link master eliminates the need for additional hardware, while the drive's real-time data capabilities - via the Drive Datahub - support predictive maintenance and process transparency. With its digital nameplate, essential product data is always available, even before commissioning.

But smart maintenance doesn't simply mean predictive maintenance; it's being smart about how maintenance is scheduled and managed. So it could well be worth talking to Festo about its AX Smartenance - a manufacturer-independent system that enables you to manage maintenance digitally and paperless. Maintenance tasks can be easily and flexibly scheduled via a web application and then accessed from anywhere via a mobile app. In addition, Smartenance offers you a comprehensive incident management. Thus, Smartenance increases the efficiency of your maintenance management and is an easy and cost-effective start to digitalisation.